Taco Bell Launches Six-Drink Refrescas Line in $5 Billion Beverage Push

Taco Bell has rolled out a new national drink platform, Refrescas, adding six non-alcoholic beverages to its U.S. restaurants as the chain deepens its push into higher-margin drinks. The lineup, unveiled in a 26 June press release and launched this week, includes three fruit-flavored Agua Refrescas made with freeze-dried fruit and green tea, two Rockstar Energy Refrescas developed with the energy-drink brand, and a strawberry-lime Refresca Freeze. Each Agua Refresca contains 52 milligrams of caffeine and sells for $3.99 in a 20-ounce cup, while the energy versions carry 200 milligrams of caffeine and cost $4.49. The frozen Refresca Freeze is priced at $3.79 for 16 ounces and $3.99 for 20 ounces. Flavors span Strawberry Passionfruit, Dragonfruit Berry, Mango Peach, Pineapple Lime and Tropical Punch. Global Chief Food Innovation Officer Liz Matthews said the drinks respond to younger consumers who “are reaching for refreshing drinks as part of their lifestyle.” Parent company Yum! Brands is targeting $5 billion in beverage revenue by 2030 and will open 30 additional Live Más Café beverage bars inside Taco Bell restaurants in Southern California and Texas by year-end, marking the start of what the firm calls a multi-year beverage transformation.