The Customized Drink Is Out of Control

On a recent morning in Fort Worth, Cally Smoke faced a crisis of choice.She scrolled through the litany of drinks on an ordering kiosk at CosMc’s, a new beverage chain from McDonald’s.

Most of the options had names she neither recognized nor understood: Sprite Moonsplash.Popping Pear Slush.

Beach Protein Frappé.She settled on the Chai Frappé Burst, a frozen, blended concoction with whipped cream, boba and cinnamon sugar sprinkles.“You have to be an individual,” said Ms.Smoke, a 40-year-old saleswoman, as she sipped her beverage.

“You can’t just get black coffee.”Here, elaborate drinks are the draw — and customers are encouraged to complicate them further.The kiosks pitch a number of add-on possibilities: Could that S’mores Cold Brew benefit from a splash of Coca-Cola? How about adding caffeine syrup to your Berry Hibiscus Sour-ade?A very American need for instant energy, coupled with a very American desire for self-expression, has inspired an ever-mutating ecosystem of tricked-out drinks whose made-to-order possibilities have created a nation of soda jerks.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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