9 Bartender-Approved Fast Food Drinks To Use As Cocktail Mixers

Fast food joints are jumping on the signature drink bandwagon with surprising speed. From Taco Bell's Baja Blast to Chick-fil-A's Frosted Lemonade, to McDonald's Frozen Fanta and beyond, these tasty beverages are good for a whole lot more than simply sipping as-is. Many of them are an amateur bartender's dream when it comes to whipping up unique, flavorful cocktails as well. Um, what? Yup, you heard that right — quite a few signature fast food drinks make drool-worthy cocktails. Adults everywhere rejoice!

I worked in the foodservice industry for 20 years, and about 10 of those years were spent behind the bar curating and mixing cocktails, both new and classic alike. After all of that time, I know a thing or two about liquor and what flavors complement each other nicely. Actually, not to toot my own horn, but some would even call me an expert in the field, especially if you take my decades-long love of craft cocktails into account as well. All that being said, I considered countless fast food signature drinks and came up with a list of nine I can wholeheartedly approve of using as cocktail mixers. If you want to know what they are, which liquors pair best with them, and how to make some drool-worthy cocktails with them yourself, I've got you covered. Just remember not to mix up any drinks on site — that would not only be a bad move, but might even get you into some serious trouble.

When contemplating which fast food drinks make outstanding mixers, Taco Bell's Baja Blast was the first thing to come to mind. I mean, have you ever heard of getting Baja blasted? If not, I can assure you that it is a thing. And, as it turns out, it's not just tasty, it's incredibly fun as well. So if you want to blast off into a caffeine and booze-infused romp, Baja Blast won't let you down. I should know, I recently put it through a taste test with several different types of booze.

If you aren't already familiar, Baja Blast is Mountain Dew with a tropical lime flavor infusion. Yum! It pairs wonderfully with bourbon, vodka, tequila, and rum. My booze of choice to mix with Baja Blast is coconut rum, and tequila trails behind in second. However, trust your instincts with this one. If bourbon is more your style, opt for that. The beauty of Baja Blast is that the flavors complement several types of booze, so just about anyone can enjoy a cocktail made with it. That is, of course, if you are okay with the fact that it comes with a hefty dose of caffeine.

Mixing a Baja Blast cocktail couldn't be simpler. Once you've narrowed down the type of liquor you want to use, simply add a shot or two (1.5 to 3 ounces), depending on how large your drink is and how strong you want it to be, stir, and enjoy.

As a kid, I never imagined 7-Eleven Slurpees could get any better. As an adult, I can tell you that they do. Straight out of the machine, they are super sweet, come in fun colors, a slew of interesting flavors, and they sure help a person beat the heat. You probably already know that, though. What makes them even better is turning them into an adult cocktail. Woohoo! In fact, 7-Eleven even has Hard Slurpee recipes on their website, so yeah, it's a thing.

7-Eleven Slurpees come in a range of drool-worthy, albeit extremely sweet flavors. You can find them in everything from cherry to blue raspberry to Coca-Cola to Mountain Dew and beyond. You can also mix and match the flavors to your heart's content. So, the sky's basically the limit when it comes to choosing the right booze to mix them with. I recommend sticking to something that isn't too overpowering, like vodka, to ensure a smooth drink every time. However, rum, tequila, and bourbon or whiskey aren't off the table, either. For example, Coke-flavored Slurpees and whiskey would make fast friends. Rum and piña colada Slurpees are a no-brainer as well.

Whichever direction you go, add a shot of liquor to your Slurpee, give it a stir, and taste to see if it hits the mark. If not, add another. One more thing: Slurpees are free on July 11 (aka 7-Eleven). Snag one then, and it'll only make your cocktail that much sweeter.

Another super caffeinated fast food drink that makes a mean mixer is Starbucks line of cold brew coffees — and yes, this includes both classic and nitro-infused options. I'd even go so far as to say that adding booze will make many of us wonder how Red Bull and vodka was ever so popular. Not me, I still love it, but boozy coffee is making a resurgence, and rightfully so. It gives you all the pep you could want and tastes freaking awesome going down. Of course, you'll probably want to limit yourself to one, or maybe two so you don't go overboard on caffeine, but I'll leave that in your hands.

Just like an espresso martini, adding booze to Starbucks cold brew is a match made in heaven. The obvious choice is vodka, but tequila works just as well. Actually, I prefer tequila over vodka in my coffee drinks (espresso martinis included). It may not be the first booze on everyone's radar regarding coffee, but it's one of several underrated, tasty tequila mixers everyone should try at least once. Instead of blending in, like vodka, tequila lends a grassy, citrusy taste to coffee that won't go unnoticed — in a good way. Vodka is a bang-up choice as well, but it doesn't add a ton of flavor. Speaking of which, RumChata, Irish cream, and coffee liqueurs also mix into Starbucks Cold Brew nicely. Minus the last one, they'll also add a ton of flavor.

The next caffeine-infused fast food drinks I recommend using as a mixer are the line-up of Refreshers at Dunkin'. Sweet, flavorful, and deliciously refreshing, they not only make an incredible mixer, but they even have the ability to mask cheaper boozes that may not taste so great. You know what? Even if caffeine cocktails aren't for you, they still make a fantastic option because you can opt to have them made with lemonade instead of green tea. I prefer the latter, though.

Dunkin' Refreshers come in two flavors: Mango Pineapple and Strawberry Dragonfruit. There are also a few Sabrina Carpenter Daydream Refreshers on the menu, but they feature oat milk, and I wouldn't recommend turning them into cocktails. Back to the regular Refreshers, though — when mixed with booze, their tropical flavors have what it takes to make you want to bask in the sun for the rest of the day. Either flavor pairs with vodka, rum, gin, or tequila beautifully, and that goes for both the green tea and lemonade renditions of the drinks. Personally, the Strawberry Dragonfruit one is too sweet for my liking, but to each their own.

Thanks to the layered flavors found in Dunkin' Refreshers, they result in a more curated cocktail in the end. After all, various fruity flavors pack a bigger bang than a simple cherry-flavored Slurpee, right? Simply add one to two shots of either rum, vodka, gin, or tequila, give it a swirl, and you're good to go.

Lemonade is a classic mixer. Well, lemon and simple syrup are, and that's what gives lemonade its flavor so ... yeah, there's no doubt it has endless cocktail potential. With this in mind, I had to include Wendy's flavored lemonades as a recommended mixer. They boast all the classic taste you could want, plus a little something extra in the flavor department. Score!

Wendy's lemonades come in various flavors: Tangerine Twist, Pineapple Mango, Strawberry, Cherry Limeade Sparkling Energy, and Pineapple Citrus Sparkling Energy — and they all taste fantastic with a booze infusion. No matter the flavor, vodka, rum, and tequila make a wonderful addition. If whiskey and bourbon are more your style, I recommend going for either the Tangerine Twist or Cherry Limeade Sparkling Energy. As for you gin drinkers out there, Strawberry and Cherry Limeade Sparkling Energy are your best bets. However, as you can see, Wendy's flavored lemonades are far from a one-trick pony.

Just like the other mixers we've discussed thus far, simply adding a shot or two to one of Wendy's flavored lemonades and stirring is all you need to do to turn it into a tasty adult beverage. You could add a garnish as well, but if you plan on drinking it out of the to-go cup with a lid, why bother?

If you are looking for a thick, milkshake-like fast food drink to turn into a cocktail, Chick-fil-A Frosted Lemonades make a stellar choice. Unlike your typical shake, they are infused with flavored lemonade, and we all know how booze and citrus are best friends (at least I think we do). Plus, when it comes to ranking fast food lemonades, Chick-fil-A scores pretty high (top three, to be exact), and that's just the plain recipe. Adding a fruity, seasonal flavor and freezing it only makes it better.

For now, Chick-fil-A's Frosted Lemonade flavor is Cherry Berry, featuring cherry, cranberry, and blueberry. However, the flavor changes seasonally, so who knows what'll be next. Even so, it's fair to assume that vodka will pretty much always make a solid addition to Chick-fil-A's Frosted Lemonades. It doesn't have a ton of flavor, so it rarely clashes with anything, and it won't overpower your drink. The Cherry Berry specifically would be good with bourbon, gin, rum, or tequila as well, but not all flavors will be so versatile.

When mixing a Frosted Lemonade drink, I recommend pouring your booze of choice on top of the drink, like a float. That way, you can mix it in as you go. If you try to combine it all straight away or use too much, your frozen drink will quickly melt, leaving you with a watery mess. No, thanks! That being said, you'll only want to add a single shot as well.

McDonald's Frozen Fantas are another fast food drink that shines when turned into a cocktail. They are similar to 7-Eleven Slurpees in both flavors and consistency. However, thanks to the addition of carbonation, they manage to stay in a class all their own. I mean, a bit of bubbles never hurt a cocktail, and it's pretty rare in frozen form, so talk about unique!

McDonald's Frozen Fantas come in various flavors, depending on the season and your location. I was able to track down Strawberry and Blue Raspberry near me, but Lemon, Wild Cherry, and Coca-Cola flavors also exist (or have in the past). Unfortunately, this means you might not know which flavors are available until you get to a specific McDonald's location, but that's alright. Chances are good you could turn them all into a tasty cocktail. Wild Cherry, Lemon, and Coca-Cola are shoo-in flavors for whiskey and bourbon. Wild Cherry, Lemon, and Strawberry are perfect for gin. All of the flavors would be complemented by rum, vodka, and tequila as well. Although I definitely wouldn't call tequila and Coca-Cola Frozen Fanta a dream, it would get the job done, though.

Due to the frozen nature of these tasty Fanta creations, keeping the booze to a minimum will help your cocktail retain its thick texture. The more you add, the faster it will melt. As such, a single shot is all I recommend stirring in.

Sonic Drive-In is another fast food spot serving fun, tasty drinks that will help even the most amateur bartender whip up a drool-worthy cocktail. My top pick at Sonic would be one of the creative limeades, but if you want a frozen option, its slushes fit the bill. Either way, Sonic is more than ready to help round out your cocktails.

Sonic limeades come in plain Limeade, Cherry, Strawberry, and Cranberry flavors, and they all work as a mixer. The brand's ice, which has a cult-following, certainly doesn't hurt, either. Tequila, vodka, gin, and rum are shoo-in additions for all of them. My go-to pick would be tequila with a mix of Strawberry and plain limeade. It'll taste almost like a strawberry margarita, delish! As for bourbon and whiskey, I'd stick to Cherry or Cranberry. The tartness will complement the spirit's nuanced flavors in expert fashion. Whichever flavor you opt for, add a shot or two, mix, and revel in the deliciousness of your creation.

Sonic's slushes are another fan favorite, ready and waiting to be turned into an adult beverage. They are available in Mango, Peach, Cherry, Blue Raspberry, Grape, Cranberry, and Powerade Mountain Berry Blast flavors. Minus the Powerade flavor, I wouldn't hesitate to infuse them all with some type of booze. Gin and whiskey or bourbon drinkers should stick to Cherry and Cranberry. None of them are off the table for rum, vodka, and tequila drinkers. What will you try first?

Last up on my list of fast food drinks that can easily and tastily be turned into a cocktail is Good Times' Milkshakes. I'll admit, milkshakes are one of the worst mixers for bourbon and other types of booze because it only speeds up the melting process. However, as opposed to a regular milkshake, Good Times makes its with frozen custard. Translation: They are much thicker than your average shake, and this goes a long way in helping it maintain its frozen consistency once booze is added to the mix. Even so, I wouldn't add more than a shot, or you'll just be setting yourself up for failure. I also recommend adding it as a float, so it sits on top.

The Good Times menu currently features 13 different milkshake flavors, so there's no shortage of options when it comes to picking your favorite one to jazz up. Even so, my top picks are Lime, Creme De Menthe, Coconut, Blackberry, and Cold Brew. For Lime, tequila and rum will knock it out of the park. Coconut with rum is an obvious pick as well. While a bit on the nose, adding crème de menthe to the Crème De Menthe flavor is a no-brainer. It won't change how it tastes too much, but it'll give it all the adult edge you could want. I'd add bourbon or gin to the Blackberry flavor, and lastly, I'd reach for vodka or tequila with the Cold Brew shake.