I guess it had to happen, sooner or later. McDonald’s – the ancient and venerable standard-setter for modern Fast Food culture – avoided ‘charged’ beverages for 86 years. Then McDonald’s announced it’s first ‘energy’ beverage; a legacy of the infamous CosMc’s experiment…
It’s a whole line, really, but not all are ‘boosted’ with Red Bull. The flagship
bev is a Bulled-up version of the popular Dragonberry Refresher…
The Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer is a layered blend of Red Bull’s signature flavour and McD’s blue raspberry syrup. The star of the show is a scoop of freeze-dried dragonfruit. You can order it with regular or Zero Sugar Red Bull…
A chequered past…
Energy drinks, which rely on a jolt of added caffeine for their energising effect, have been around for a few years now. And their track record is not unblemished.
A couple of years back, several folks died from caffeine overdoses of Panera Bread’s original-formula ‘Charged’ Lemonade. The bevs are now back on their menu, but in dramatically modified form.
Health advocates and folks concerned with the welfare of children have been warning of the potent-ial negative effects of energy drinks almost since Red Bull started the phenomenon back in the late 1990s.
Recreational ‘sports’ drinks were the first existing sector to jump on the bandwagon. And in the last couple of decades, many other vendors have entered the fray. They obviously glommed onto the reality that legally selling a product based on a classically addictive substance was a sure way to make their fortune!
And lately, Fast Food brands – racing to break out of their traditional fizzy-drinks-and-coffee mould – have started to embrace the ‘boosted’ philosophy.
Legitimizing the ‘trend’
McDonald’s announcement that it was getting into energy drinks was not the first in its sector. But the mere fact that McDonald’s has endorsed boosted bevs established the former fad as a genuine trend.
But the move into energy drinks was not a heedless plunge. More like dipping a toe in the waters, at first… The new bev was developed at CosMc’s, then tested abroad, in various markets, before ‘bringing it home’.
“We’ve seen growing enthusiasm for our drinks as fans look for more variety and options to fit every occas-ion,” says Alyssa Buetikofer, McDonald’s Chief Market-ing and Customer Experience Officer, in the official news release. “With strong response internationally, the Red Bull Dragonberry Energizer was a natural next step for the US, expanding into the energy category while building on the fandom around our crafted sodas and refreshers.”
Going boldly…
McD’s obviously feels it’s done enough testing on the Red Bull Dragonberry Refresher. And it’s wasting no time ‘getting it out there’, splashing the new bev across the chain just a few days from now, on August 17.
A recent Food & Wine story noted: “American consumers are seeking refreshing pick-me-ups across the board. Beverage giant Dunkin’ expanded its non-coffee lineup with additional zero-sugar energy options last March, while competitor Starbucks relaunched its energy offerings a month later. Other brands, such as Papa Johns and KFC, are capturing attention with unexpected flavor combinations.”
My take
The ‘Energy Boost’ age is officially upon us. It’s up to consumers to keep track of their own caffeine consumption when indulging – to avoid dangerous or even fatal consequences!
~ Maggie J.