Craig Howell OFFERING A TASTE – Invited guests were able to get an early taste of six new beverages now being offered at participating McDonald’s restaurants, Wednesday, as part of a VIP event hosted by the Weirton McDonald’s.

WEIRTON – McDonald’s restaurants across the country introduced a new line of specialty drinks this week, featuring fruit-flavored refreshers and a selection of crafted sodas.

As part of the launch, the McDonald’s located on Three Springs Drive in Weirton hosted a VIP reception Wednesday, welcoming invited guests into the restaurant’s lobby to sample the new beverages, along with a few other standard menu items.

Trey Locke, owner and operator of the Weirton McDonald’s, welcomed those in attendance.

“We’re very excited to have everyone try our crafted sodas and refreshers,” Locke said, noting Wednesday’s VIP reception was a first for the Tomtreyco franchise ownership which has been in business for almost 26 years.

The “First Sip” tasting event allowed those in attendance to sample each of the new beverages, offering their thoughts, while meeting with franchise owners, local staff and other guests.

“It’s always good to come to McDonald’s,” noted Weirton Mayor Dean Harris in presenting Locke with a proclamation in recognition of the event.

The new beverages include:

Strawberry Watermelon Refresher, blending strawberry and watermelon flavors with a lemonade base, along with freeze-dried strawberries;

Mango Pineapple Refresher with mango and pineapple flavors and the lemonade base, along with strawberry popping boba;

Blackberry Passion Fruit Refresher, pairing blackberry and passion fruit with the lemonade base, along with freeze-dried dragon fruit;

Sprite Berry Blast mixes a blue raspberry syrup with Sprite, topped with a cold foam;

Orange Dream features Hi-C Orange Lavaburst with vanilla flavor and a cold foam on top;

Dirty Dr. Pepper layers Dr. Pepper with vanilla and a cold foam.

“Our fans have an obsession with beverages – to them, drinks are more than just drinks. And soon, our beverages won’t just be a reason you come to McDonald’s, they’ll be the reason,” said Alyssa Buetikofer, chief marketing and customer experience officer for McDonald’s USA. “We’ve taken the time to get this right, introducing new drinks that are hand-crafted with bold flavors and quality ingredients our fans can taste in every sip. Only McDonald’s can bring that kind of experience to life consistently across nearly 14,000 restaurants every single day.”

(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com)