2 min read- Sonic launched three new Refreshers made with green tea, real fruit, and electrolytes, plus a Strawberry Horchata Cream Slush.
- The Refreshers are light and not overly sweet, with Mango Peach standing out for its subtle, iced-tea-like flavor.
- The Strawberry Horchata Cream Slush is the must-order, delivering a creamy, cinnamon-strawberry hybrid that Delish editors loved.
Sonic has long dominated the fast-food drink game, with a menu that runs the full spectrum from soft drinks to milkshakes, slushes, and lemonades. Now, as “dirty sodas” and more functional, hydration-focused drinks take over, the chain is leaning in with a new lineup of Refreshers and a standout slushy that feels tailor-made for summer.
The new Refreshers, available in still or sparkling, are made with green tea concentrate, real fruit, and electrolytes. Translation: They’re positioned as a lighter, more functional alternative to the chain’s usual sugar-heavy drinks. And surprisingly, they actually deliver on that.
Across the board, these are not overly sweet. The green tea base comes through in a way that makes them closer to a lightly flavored iced tea than a traditional refresher, which is usually code for sugar bomb.
Mango Peach Refresher
The Mango Peach Refresher was the clear standout for me. It’s subtle in the best way, with just enough mango and peach to give it flavor without tipping into syrupy territory. It almost drinks like an unsweetened iced tea with a hint of fruit, which I did not expect from Sonic
Strawberry Passion Fruit
The Strawberry Passion Fruit Refresher follows a similar lane but leans slightly sweeter thanks to the strawberry pieces. It still stays balanced, though, and doesn’t lose that light, refreshing quality.
Berry Citrus Refresher
Then there’s the Berry Citrus Refresher, which is easily the boldest of the three. It’s the sweetest option and has a slightly floral undertone, making it more like a traditional refresher. If you want something with more flavor payoff, this is the one.
And then we get to the drink that completely stole the show.
Strawberry Horchata Cream Slush
The Strawberry Horchata Cream Slush is Sonic taking the “dirty soda” concept and doing something smarter with it. Instead of using creamer, it blends its signature slush with soft serve, creating a texture that lands somewhere between a milkshake and a slushy. Think frosted lemonade energy, but richer.
Flavor-wise, the horchata comes through more than expected. It’s subtle, but you get that cinnamon warmth layered with real strawberry, which keeps it from being one-note. It’s sweet, but not overwhelming.
All four editors who tried it had the same immediate reaction: wow.
Senior Editor Samantha MacAvoy summed it up best with a simple “Love,” followed by drinking it fast enough to get a brain freeze.
This is the kind of drink that’s built for peak summer—and I will absolutely order it again.