{"id":18900,"date":"2015-08-06T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-06T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/?p=18900"},"modified":"2023-09-04T21:39:41","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T07:39:41","slug":"review-mcdonalds-mccafe-strawberry-lemonade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/08\/06\/review-mcdonalds-mccafe-strawberry-lemonade\/","title":{"rendered":"REVIEW: McDonald\u2019s McCaf\u00e9 Strawberry Lemonade"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"McDonald\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

Part of me feels guilty for buying McDonald\u2019s new McCaf\u00e9 Strawberry Lemonade because I\u2019m probably driving some little girl\u2019s lemonade stand out of business and killing her budding entrepreneurial spirit.<\/p>\n

But part of me doesn\u2019t feel guilty because I\u2019m probably teaching her valuable lessons of business innovation which will allow her to up her game and develop sound marketing and costing principles for future lemonade stand expansion. So you might say I have mixed feelings about my purchase. Just like I have mixed feelings about the taste of McDonald\u2019s newest McCaf\u00e9 beverage.<\/p>\n

The fast food chain says that their new take on lemonade is \u201chand shaken for a perfect balance of sweet and tart,\u201d but neither of those points are actually correct. The woman making my lemonade didn\u2019t shake it so much as she pushed a few buttons on a big machine with strawberry lemonade in it, which is a real bummer because everyone knows lemonade is a lot like martinis -\u2014 better shaken, not stirred.<\/p>\n

Also, the strawberry lemonade is really only the \u201cperfect balance\u201d of sweet and tart if your definition of balance means tasting more tart than sweet, which for a lot of people isn\u2019t the preferred ratio for fruit-flavored foods and drinks (thus, why we have Sweetarts and not Tartsweets.)<\/p>\n

Still, the strawberry lemonade is definitely refreshing and unexpectedly sophisticated in its flavor. The tartness, while outweighing the sweetness, isn\u2019t mind blowing like a Warhead, and actually tastes reminiscent of eating a Lemonhead and a Swedish Fish at the same time.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s definitely a nuanced strawberry flavor that rounds out the lemon\u2019s acidity, while the three slices of strawberry I received in my lemonade made for a favorable presentation that I really doubt most little boys and girls setting up lemonade stands this time of year can match.<\/p>\n

\"McDonald\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

Still, I can\u2019t get past the tartness, nor can I get past the big machine of lemonade that serves up one of the most quintessentially homemade beverages with what I can only describe as \u201cquestionable\u201d freshness. The strawberries, while aesthetically very nice to stir around with your straw, are actually pretty insipid and obviously frozen, with a thawed-out sliminess that screams for added sugar. More than anything else, I thought that added sugar would have helped bring out the inherent fruitiness of the strawberries, and justified the $1.79 I paid for a small.<\/p>\n

There’s been a lot of McDonald\u2019s Secret Menu talk<\/a> as of late and I’d like to add a little tip to the conversation. If you\u2019re lucky to live in an area where McDonald’s soda dispensers come equipped with both Minute Maid Light Lemonade and Strawberry Fanta, you can get a sweeter, more strawberry-y lemonade drink for less money.<\/p>\n

\"McDonald\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

I like what McDonald\u2019s is trying to get at with their McCaf\u00e9 Strawberry Lemonade, even if the execution is off and the tartness overpowering. Given my guilt over contributing to the decline of brother and sister lemonade stands, I can only hope that our country\u2019s next generation of venture capitalists responds by correcting this imbalance and reclaiming the lemonade market through fresher strawberries and more sugar.<\/p>\n

(Nutrition Facts – Small – 120 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 10 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of dietary fiber, 28 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.)<\/small><\/p>\n

Item:<\/b> McDonald\u2019s McCaf\u00e9 Strawberry Lemonade
\nPurchased Price:<\/b> $1.79
\nSize:<\/b> Small (12 oz.)
\nPurchased at:<\/b> McDonald’s
\nRating:<\/b> 5 out of 10
\nPros:<\/b> More sophisticated flavor than usual takes on lemonade. Nuanced strawberry taste. Comes with real strawberry and lemon slices. Chilled and refreshing on a hot day.
\nCons:<\/b> Too tart for general lemonade drinking public. Strawberry flavor isn\u2019t as concentrated as it should be. Pricey. Questionable freshness, including lack of discernible pulp. Supporting corporate giant over youthful small businesses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Part of me feels guilty for buying McDonald\u2019s new McCaf\u00e9 Strawberry Lemonade because I\u2019m probably driving some little girl\u2019s lemonade stand out of business and killing her budding entrepreneurial spirit. But part of me doesn\u2019t feel guilty because I\u2019m probably teaching her valuable lessons of business innovation which will allow her to up her game […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1440],"tags":[1477,1481],"class_list":["post-18900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews","tag-fast-food","tag-mcdonalds"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":9283,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2011\/05\/06\/review-mcdonalds-mccafe-frozen-strawberry-lemonade\/","url_meta":{"origin":18900,"position":0},"title":"REVIEW: McDonald’s McCafe Frozen Strawberry Lemonade","author":"Marvo","date":"May 6, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"If I didn't have a calendar, all I would have to do is see what McDonald's is offering in order to figure out what time of the year it is. 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For example, they've always filled three-fourths of their soft drink cups with ice before they add any beverage. If that's not the definition of generous, then I don't know what is. This time last year McDonald's rolled out\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"McDonald's Cherry Berry Chiller","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7183\/6987596814_39e6088440.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":18599,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2015\/06\/08\/fast-food-news-mcdonalds-mccafe-green-apple-smoothie\/","url_meta":{"origin":18900,"position":3},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: McDonald’s McCafe Green Apple Smoothie","author":"Marvo","date":"June 8, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Impulsive Buy friend Brad, who has sent in a number McDonald's products testing in the Chicago area, sent us a screenshot of a commercial that features the McCafe Green Apple Smoothie. The new smoothie isn't listed with the other flavors-Blueberry Pomegranate, Strawberry Banana, and Mango Pineapple-on the McDonald's website, so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Fast Food News"","block_context":{"text":"Fast Food News","link":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/category\/fast-food-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"McDonald's McCafe Green Apple Smoothie","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/434\/17972788644_36e289b6d6_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/434\/17972788644_36e289b6d6_z.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/farm1.staticflickr.com\/434\/17972788644_36e289b6d6_z.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":19705,"url":"https:\/\/www.theimpulsivebuy.com\/wordpress\/2016\/02\/25\/fast-food-news-mcdonalds-mccafe-carrot-muffins\/","url_meta":{"origin":18900,"position":4},"title":"FAST FOOD NEWS: McDonald’s McCafe Carrot Muffins","author":"Marvo","date":"February 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Last year we posted something about McDonald's testing freshly baked muffins by Quaker under their McCafe brand that came in three varieties -- blueberry, double chocolate, and cranberry orange. 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Click here to read our review. Our internet pal Nick from On Second Scoop sent us a photo of a poster promoting a McCafe Oreo Frapp\u00e9. 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