A beverage boom is underway, and foodservice operators of all types are wooing patrons with colorful coolers, carefully curated drink menus and more.
Setting the pace is quick-service behemoth McDonald’s, which recently introduced a selection of innovative drinks, including Dirty Dr Pepper, a mango pineapple Refresher, and Red Bull Dragonberry Energiser. McDonald’s spent years testing assorted drinks at the chain’s short-lived CosMc outlets. Despite offering the new drinks at below-competitor prices, McDonald’s management predicts high margins and healthy profits.
Other leading QSRs, such as Taco Bell, Panera Bread, Sonic, Chick-fil-A and Whataburger, are expanding their assortment of refreshers, flavored sodas, floats, craft-style drinks and lemonades.
Meanwhile, Dutch Bros, founded in 1992, is now the third-largest U.S. coffee chain, behind Starbucks and Dunkin’, according to Technomic. Dutch Bros credits much of its success to consumers’ love of colorful energy drinks and customizable cold beverages. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that customized energy drinks are 25% of Dutch Bros’ sales.
At the National Restaurant Association Show in May, Coca-Cola displayed a new self-serve machine for restaurants that lets consumers make their own dirty sodas and other infused drinks. Coke reps also distributed samples of Strawberry Hot Honey Lemonade and Blueberry London Fog, two colorful drinks aimed at the youth market and now in testing. Coke wouldn’t normally offer up test products before launch, but it shows that even major manufacturers are working to stay current on customers’ growing demands.
Several c-store brands have followed suit. Wawa allows patrons to customize their own iced coffees, refreshers, smoothies and lemonade, and Sheetz is selling customized refreshers, smoothies and frozen drinks infused with Red Bull. Last year, QuikTrip introduced a new proprietary beverage program with a fountain machine that dispenses 40 options and includes noncarbonated offerings such as Powerade. 7-Eleven is currently testing high-end machines that produce custom beverages.
1. I Am My Drink; My Drink Is Me
For today’s youth, a beverage is more than a drink. It’s also a personal statement. According to the 2026 Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) State of Beverages Trend Report, Gen Z (born 1997-2012) and Gen Alpha (born after 2013) believe drinks help them define their experiences, express their individuality and bring people together.
Unlike older consumers, who tend to consume their favorite drinks repeatedly, younger people don’t have a single go-to beverage. Instead, they rotate flavors, functions and categories and expect drinks to meet their various needs. The KDP report focuses on five beverage trends.
First, younger consumers see drinks as a form of self-expression. Nearly six in 10 Gen Alpha and Gen Z consumers say their drink reflects who they are, and they’re twice as likely to choose brands that say something about them. They’re attracted to unexpected flavors (58%), globally inspired options (57%) and unique LTOs (56%).
Second, drinks set the mood. Among Gen Alpha and Gen Z, 58% say they choose their beverage based on mood or occasion. Among survey respondents, 63% said they prefer beverages that entertain or inspire, and they’re twice as likely as older consumers to seek beverages that make them nostalgic.
Third, a single beverage can’t do it all. Gen Alpha and Gen Z have more emotional and functional needs per drink occasion. They retain their favorite drinks while expanding their options across more categories, but flavor is always important. They like fruity and juicy profiles (81%), sweet or indulgent flavors (75%) and citrus-forward tastes (72%). They consume bottled water (59% at least once a week), soda (54%) and juice (50%).
Fourth is function, with 71% of young consumers seeking beverages that deliver benefits such as improved mental focus or sustained energy. But they expect both benefits and enjoyment in a single product, and they over index on beverages that deliver both functional and indulgent benefits.
Fifth, digital channels are important in trial and discovery, with 63% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z reporting that friends, creators and social feeds sway their drink decisions and 70% saying they search online for reviews and ratings. They’re almost twice as likely as millennials to buy from brands that personalize recommendations, which indicates increased expectations for curated, algorithm-driven choices. However, 75% said eye-catching in-store displays influence their choices.
2. Coffee Remains America’s Favorite Beverage
Two-thirds (66%) of American adults drank coffee in the past day, according to the Spring 2026 National Coffee Data Trends Report from the National Coffee Association and Specialty Coffee Association (SCA). That’s more than any other beverage, including tap or bottled water, the report said.
In addition, 47% of American adults enjoyed specialty coffee in the past day and 58% in the past week. As defined by the report, specialty coffee includes espresso-based beverages (lattes, cappuccinos, etc.); non-espresso-based drinks, such as frozen blended beverages, cold brew and nitro coffee; and traditional coffee that consumers perceive to be brewed from premium coffee beans. Most past-day specialty-coffee drinkers enjoyed their brew hot (76%), but iced coffee is also popular (60%).
Espresso-based beverages have gained prominence, with 45% of Americans consuming one in the past week, driven primarily by lattes, espressos and cappuccinos. Specialty coffee drinkers are more likely than traditional coffee drinkers to have consumed flavored and functional beverages—such as teas, water beverages enhanced with nutrients and milk alternatives—in the past day.
The demand for specialty coffees is driven by consumers age 25-39. The most popular flavors for both specialty and traditional coffee drinkers are chocolate, caramel and brown sugar (including toffee and butterscotch) and vanilla.
“When nearly half of American adults are choosing specialty coffee on any given day, and when that preference is strongest among younger consumers, it confirms that quality, craft and the experience around coffee matter more than ever,” said Yannis Apostolopoulos, CEO of the SCA. “This data is both encouraging and a call to action to continue advancing the industry through innovation and agility.”
3. All In Good Time
Beverage-buying behavior is the result of routine, daypart and impulse, and studying typical shopping habits can help retailers stay competitive. Westrock Coffee’s proprietary research found that beverages, especially coffee, are the top reason consumers visit c-stores. More than 80% of c-store patrons go in specifically to buy a drink, and most know what they want when they arrive.
Morning is not the only time for a cup of java. Joe Gaines, senior director of U.S. sales for Costa Coffee, The Coca-Cola Co., said 40% of mocha purchases are in the morning (before 11 a.m.), with 28% more between noon and 4 p.m., according to the company’s convenience retail data. “Together, these patterns highlight sustained demand across dayparts and are influencing how operators approach menu mix and daypart strategy,” he said.
Gaines also sees continued strength in hot chocolate, particularly as a year-round treat instead of a seasonal item. Almost half of hot chocolate purchases happen between 6 and 10 a.m., and another third happen in the afternoon, his company’s data shows. Overall, 18% of cups sold in c-stores are hot chocolate. “This level of performance reinforces its role beyond a seasonal item, positioning it as a reliable daily choice and a strong entry point for non-coffee drinkers and younger consumers.”
Starbucks introduced protein to its menu in the fall of 2025 by allowing patrons to add protein-boosted milk or protein cold foam to their beverages. Customers purchase the most protein drinks around 8 a.m. on Fridays, the retailer shared on its website, and they most frequently order a Vanilla Protein Latte with 27 to 36 grams of protein, depending on size.
In May, Starbucks reported an increase in traffic in the afternoons and into the evenings. Total visits are on the rise after 2 p.m., with the biggest gains between 3 and 5 p.m. “We’re seeing more visits continuing into the early evening, which shows how Starbucks is becoming part of customers’ routines well beyond the morning,” the company said.
4. Wine Is Fine in Aluminum
Wine packaged in cans first appeared in the 1930s, but the container got a boost when the Francis Ford Coppola winery began marketing canned wines 20 years ago.
According to Nielsen, canned wine sales jumped from $2 million in 2012 to more than $183 million in 2020, and Grandview Research predicts that the global canned-wine market will reach $211.5 million by 2030. The steadily increasing demand for portable, convenient and single-serve beverages, particularly among younger shoppers, is a major driver.
Canned wine has plenty of benefits. Aluminum bottles and cans rely on internal liners that protect the contents and block light completely. Unopened wine in glass bottles can become tainted when mold grows in the cork, but there is no way for oxygen to get into an unopened aluminum can or bottle. An aluminum bottle can be conveniently resealed with a screw top.
In addition to providing a simple form of portion control, canned wines are convenient, portable and shatterproof, making them appropriate for camping, picnics, beach days, sporting events and concerts. Aluminum is much lighter than glass and less expensive to transport than glass-bottled wine. And if you want a single glass of wine without opening a new bottle, cans are ideal. Canned wine has a shelf life of 12 to 18 months, but once the can is open, it should be consumed the same day.
Aluminum is easier to recycle than other materials and is much more likely to be converted into new containers. The Aluminum Association and the Can Manufacturers Institute report that 43% of aluminum beverage cans sold in the United States in 2023 were ultimately recycled, compared with 39.6% for glass bottles.
5. Disappearing Drinks
A couple of well-known beverages are disappearing. One is Schlitz, the “beer that made Milwaukee famous,” as one of its slogans went. After 177 years, production of Schlitz halted in May, a move blamed on strong demand for light beers and America’s changing preferences. However, its disappearance may be temporary, according to a representative for Pabst Brewing Co., owner of Schlitz.
“Unfortunately, we have seen continued increases in our costs to store and ship certain products and have had to make the tough choice to place Schlitz Premium on hiatus,” said the representative, adding that the company looks for opportunities to bring back beloved brands based on customer feedback.
This year, Coca-Cola discontinued its entire line of Minute Maid frozen juice concentrates in the United States and Canada. The mix-it-yourself beverage made its debut with orange juice in 1946, giving families nationwide access to affordable juice year-round.
The offerings later expanded to include lemonade, limeade, pink lemonade and raspberry lemonade flavors. Although frozen juice generates nostalgic memories of a morning in Mom’s kitchen, today’s drink connoisseurs see concentrated juice as a less desirable “processed” product.
6. So Long, Self-Serve
In 2023, McDonald’s USA reported that it would slowly phase out all in-store self-serve beverage stations by 2032. That effort is now underway, and the availability of self-serve drinks will vary by location until all stations are retired and replaced with crew-served beverages.
McDonald’s said the phase-out is intended to create a consistent experience for employees customers. Franchisees have said the move will help ensure food safety and provide theft protection.
