The fast food beverage wars just got a frozen upgrade.
Sonic officially launched its new Frozen Refreshers today, May 18, at participating locations nationwide — converting three of its already-popular Refresher drinks into icy, brain-freeze-worthy summer sips and debuting one entirely new flavor in the process. The drinks are available for a limited time in sizes ranging from small to Route 44.
There’s also a deal worth knowing about: from May 26 through May 31, the 20-ounce size will be available for a special introductory price of $2.99 through the Sonic App.
What’s in the Lineup
All four Frozen Refreshers are built on a green tea base blended with real fruit purées, delivering roughly 45 milligrams of caffeine per 20-ounce serving — a meaningful energy boost without the intensity of a full energy drink. Here’s what to expect from each flavor:
Watermelon Peach Frozen Refresher — The new addition to the lineup, and arguably the most summer-appropriate. Watermelon and peach are two of the season’s defining flavors, and the frozen format amplifies both. It’s also available as a still or sparkling drink if you’d rather skip the icy texture. This one is seasonal and limited time.
Strawberry Passion Fruit Frozen Refresher — A fan-favorite from the original Refresher lineup, now frozen. Real strawberry pieces and passion fruit purée blended with green tea. It’s the most tropical-leaning of the four, with the passion fruit adding a tartness that balances the sweetness of the strawberry.
Mango Peach Frozen Refresher — Mango and peach purées blended with green tea in frozen form. It’s smooth, sweet, and easy-drinking — the flavor that campaign partner Ciara Miller called her personal favorite. “I’m a Georgia peach forever,” she said.
Berry Citrus Frozen Refresher — Wild berry and blueberry purées with real lemon and green tea. The lemon keeps it from reading as purely sweet, giving it a slightly tart finish that makes it more refreshing than the name alone suggests.
Why Sonic Is Making This Move Now
Sonic is expanding its beverage menu with the launch of Sonic Frozen Refreshers, a lineup that converts its fruit-and-tea drinks into an icy format for the summer season. The broader context: the fast food refresher category has exploded in 2026. Starbucks, Dunkin’, Taco Bell, Panera, and most recently McDonald’s have all either launched or expanded refresher-style beverages in the past few months, each competing for the same increasingly lucrative summer drink occasion.
Sonic has a natural advantage in this space. As a drive-in chain built around the frozen drink experience — from its iconic slushes to its milkshakes — expanding into frozen refreshers plays to what the brand already does well. The new lineup is a direct answer to customers who want the fruit-and-green-tea energy boost of a refresher in the icy, drive-in format that made Sonic famous in the first place.
The “Sip to That” Campaign
The launch comes with a new brand campaign called “Sip to That,” built around the idea of celebrating life’s small, everyday wins. Sonic tapped reality TV personalities Ariana Madix and Ciara Miller to front the campaign alongside a series of short spots featuring low-stakes, relatable wins — holding a yoga pose, opening a car door with your hands full — each punctuated by a Frozen Refresher as the reward.
It’s a fun campaign that leans into the casual, feel-good positioning Sonic has always had, and it fits the summer drink occasion well.
The Bottom Line
Sonic Frozen Refreshers — in Watermelon Peach, Strawberry Passion Fruit, Mango Peach, and Berry Citrus — are available at participating locations nationwide starting today in sizes from small to Route 44, for a limited time. Mark May 26–31 for the $2.99 introductory deal on 20-ounce sizes through the Sonic App.
