Despite being unknown to many, McDonalds indeed retails espresso and espresso-formulated beverages like cappuccinos, lattes, americanos, and caramel macchiatos. A large variety of these drinks can be customized as hot or cold, and can be savored plain or decked up with caramel or French vanilla flavorings.
In this article I’ll cover everything you need to know about the mysterious McDonalds espresso including what kind of espresso beans they use, what espresso drinks they sell, and a few reasons why you may want to give McDonalds espresso a try. Let’s get started!
What is Espresso?
Espresso is a type of coffee that is served in small shots and is made by forcing pressurized hot water through very finely ground and tightly packed coffee beans. Although espresso is made from the same types of beans as coffee, its unique brewing process makes it much stronger, richer, and higher in caffeine than regular coffee.
Does Mcdonalds Sell Espresso?
Since 2017 when they revamped their coffee brand McCafe, introducing a new logo, new cups, and an entire line of new coffee beverages, McDonalds has sold espresso and espresso based drinks.
Until I did the research for this article, I had no idea Mcdonalds sold espresso. It’s not on their drive through or in store menus, and I’d never heard of anyone ordering it.
However, all you have to do to see that McDonalds sells espresso is go to their website where they talk about it as if it’s a common menu item ordered all the time.
What Kind of Espresso Beans Does McDonalds Use?
McDonalds uses their own dark roast arabica coffee beans to make their espresso.
Arabica coffee beans are the most common type of beans used to brew coffee and are known to have a smooth, sweet taste with flavor notes of chocolate and sugar. The other types of beans that can be used to make coffee are robusta, which have a stronger, bitter, and harsher taste and are much less common to use.
McDonalds says that their espresso beans are grown at high altitudes and in favorable climate conditions to allow more time for a full-bodied flavor with hints of chocolate, light acidity and sweet aroma to develop.
McDonalds espresso beans are also 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified which means that they are produced using methods that support social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
If you'd like to learn more about McDonald's espresso beans or even buy them yourself, you can find them for a pretty good price on Amazon here.
What Espresso Drinks Does McDonalds Sell?
If you’re looking for a quick energy boost you can order just a regular double shot of McDonalds espresso. However, if you're looking for something a little fancier, McDonalds doesn’t just sell plain expresso, they also make espresso drinks. Here's a few you may want to try out.
Caramel Macchiato – A sweet combination of vanilla and caramel syrup, milk, foam, and espresso.
Cappuccino – Equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and foamed milk. You can order it regular or with caramel or french vanilla flavoring.
Americano – Espresso diluted with hot water.
Latte – Espresso combined with 6-8 ounces of steamed milk. You can also order it iced and/or with caramel or french vanilla flavoring.
Why Drink McDonalds Espresso
You may be wondering, why buy Mcdonalds espresso and specialty coffee drinks when you could get your coffee made by trained baristas at a coffee shop like Starbucks or Biggby? I think that there are 2 reasons why you may want drink McDonalds espresso over another coffee shop's: its convenience and its price.
Convenience
One of the biggest factors behind McDonalds success is how easy their food and drinks are to get. Not only is there one on just about every block, but the drive through moves so fast that any line that’s there is gone within a few minutes.
Yes, Starbucks and local coffee shops are going to have higher quality espresso than McDonalds, but if you’re in a rush or just need something that’s close and quick, McDonalds espresso could be a great option.
Price
One way McDonalds is competing with more established coffee chains is through their low prices. While a grande (medium) Starbucks cappuccino costs $2.95, a McDonalds medium cappuccino, during their periodic $2 specialty drink specials is only $2
During regular pricing seasons, a double shot of Mcdonalds espresso with nothing else in it will cost you about $2.50
And any of the espresso drinks like mochas, lattes, or hot chocolates with espresso, whether they’re iced or not, will cost you
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$2.39 for a Small
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$2.89 for a Medium
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$3.39 for a Large
Final Thoughts
As a coffee and espresso fan, I think it’s really cool that McDonalds makes espresso. I don’t know about you, but I’m definitely going to keep Mickey D's in mind the next time I’m on the road and want a convenient and low-cost shot of espresso, or even a milk and espresso drink like a cappuccino!
I hope this article was helpful for you! If you’d like to learn more about coffee shops and espresso, be sure to check out the rest of my website!
