The bright blue drink, designed to have a vaguely tropical flavor to complement the chain’s Tex-Mex food, has quickly become a cult favorite with its own followers on Reddit and over the years has been trying to get it off the ground at once. in alcohol and on store shelves. versions.
Like its Doritos Locos Tacos, the Yum brands (YUM) – Get yum! Report Brands, Inc. The channel has become inextricably linked with Baja Blast.
And Taco Bell is now teaming up with another drink that will have a distinct color: light purple.
Wait: There’s a new Taco Bell drink coming?
Called Brisk Dragon Paradise Sparkling Iced Tea, the new Pepsi drink has a hibiscus tea base with bubbles caused by carbonation and hints of dragon fruit, raspberry and blackberry.
The drink will cost $2.19 for a medium size or, for Taco Bell Rewards members, will be free with any purchase of $1 or more every Friday through June 17.
“Along with our longtime partners at Taco Bell, we look forward to introducing fans across the country to Brisk Dragon Paradise and look forward to their thoughts on this new sparkling tea,” said Alex Chiavegatti, senior manager of PepsiCo Global Foodservice, in a statement.
Brisk is best known for its large bottles of sweet iced tea that many students buy from their high school’s vending machines.
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Brisk Dragon Paradise Sparkling Iced Tea was designed specifically for Taco Bell menus and will be available on tap at participating restaurants across the country.
“At Brisk, we are committed to celebrating creative individuality and inspiring our passionate and enthusiastic fans with new innovations,” said Katrina McDonald, Senior Director of Pepsi Lipton Joint Venture Brands, in a statement. “We’re excited to see them try Brisk Dragon Paradise whenever and wherever they might be in the mood for a cool, refreshing drink.”
Iced tea is a major beverage trend
In recent years, iced tea – and sparkling iced tea in particular – has become very popular. The global frozen drink market grew at a compound annual rate of 5.4% between 2015 and 2019 and is expected to grow even more by 2030.
Bottled iced tea is expected to be a particularly strong seller, growing at a compound annual rate of over 6%.
“Over the next few years, strong demand for iced tea is expected with the arrival of trendy and flashy flavors,” market intelligence research firm Fact.MD wrote in a recent report.
“In addition, unsweetened iced tea with reduced sugar and health benefits is expected to become mainstream and is expected to drive the market in the coming year.”
Not all companies in the tea market have been successful. In 2017, Starbucks (SBUX) – Get the Starbucks Corporation report closed all branches of the Teavana chain, which it acquired for $620 million in 2012. Sales, according to the coffee chain, did not justify the operating expenses of so many specialty stores.
“As noted on the second quarter call, many of the company’s Teavana retail stores, primarily located in shopping malls, consistently underperformed,” Starbucks said in a statement at the time. “As a result, Starbucks will close all 379 Teavana stores over the coming year, with the majority closing by spring 2018.”