Sonic Is Coming for Starbucks With Its Brand-New, Unexpected Menu Item

Sonic is continuing to make a name for itself by releasing new menu items that look like fast food favorites, but at Sonic’s signature low prices. Earlier this fall, the chain debuted a new BBQ Ranch Crispy Tender Wrap made with BBQ Ranch sauce to compete with McDonald’s Special Edition Gold Sauce Snack Wrap. Then, just in time for Halloween, Sonic brought back its fan-loved Trick-or-Treat Blasts filled with M&M’s, Oreos, and pieces of Heath Bar that give DQ’s Blizzards and McDonald’s McFlurrys a run for their money. 

Now, Sonic is taking on another fast food giant: Starbucks. Sonic has always been known for its array of beverages, but it’s only recently started brewing up coffee drinks fit for Starbucks or Dunkin’. This month, following the Salted Caramel Toffee Iced Coffee, Sonic is introducing a new Bourbon Caramel Iced Coffee that originated from an unlikely source.

Sonic Is Adding a Bourbon Caramel Iced Coffee to Menus

Jimmy Fallon has a new show on NBC, called “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,” alongside On Brand Agency’s Chief Marketing Officer, Bozoma Saint John, that features 10 consumers pitching to major brands each episode. The series premiere saw the creatives pitching Dunkin’, with one contestant creating the Dunkin’ Donuts Power Pail, a newly designed box for the brand’s popular $6 Meal Deal, and winning the episode. Dunkin’ quickly brought the Power Pail to menus—and, now, it’s Sonic’s turn. 

Bianca Fernandez of New York thought up the Bourbon Caramel Iced Coffee, which won Sonic’s episode of “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon.”

The iced coffee is made with a non-alcoholic bourbon caramel flavor, poured over the chain’s iconic nugget ice, and topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and an adorable cowboy hat garnish. Fernandez’s beverage won over the show’s judges for its “playful spirit and bold flavor profile,” Sonic says. 

Now, the coffee is actually coming to Sonic menus nationwide. The Bourbon Caramel Iced Coffee will initially be available exclusively through the Sonic app, joining the menu for in-app ordering on Oct. 20. A few weeks later, on Nov. 3, the coffee will also be launched at all Sonic restaurants for a limited time. 

The coffee will be available for about $3.69 for a medium, which is nearly half the price of Starbucks’ grande signature coffees. 

With two new menu launches already coming from “On Brand with Jimmy Fallon,” we can’t wait to see what’s next from the new competition show.