# Spring Cocktail Menus Applebee's Launched a Drink Menu With Celebrity Spirit Collaborations By Adam Harrie | Published 2026-04-07 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spring-cocktail References: [businesswire](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260406578501/en/Sip-into-Spring-with-Applebees-%246-Mucho-Beach-Break-Cocktails)  [Applebee's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/applebees-2) launched its 'Mucho Beach Break' spring cocktail lineup, featuring two limited-time $6 drinks built around celebrity-backed spirits brands. The Applebee's Mucho Beach Break menu featured an 'Adios' Caribbean-blue Long Island Iced Tea and a 'Watermelon Mana Margarita' made with Teremana Tequila Blanco from actor Dwayne Johnson, served in the brand's signature Mucho Glass. The launch also introduced two non-alcoholic options: 'Prickly Melon Rush' and 'Watermelon Lime Rush,' both made with Red Bull Watermelon as the base. Consumers can enhance these options with a 'Vibe Drop' add-on that includes premium pours from spirits brands [Patrón](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/premium-frozen-margaritas) and [Grey Goose](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grey-goose-martini-bar). As restaurant chains compete for seasonal market share, Applebee's signals how limited-time beverage programs anchored by celebrity spirit collaborations have become a reliable driver of consumer engagement. Image Credit: Applebee’s ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 8.5/10 - Popularity: 90% | Activity: 93% | Freshness: 71% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Branding](https://www.trendhunter.com/branding) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Celebrity-backed Spirits Partnerships:** Co-branded celebrity spirit launches create avenues for exclusive menu items, collectible packaging and elevated brand storytelling that deepen guest affinity. - **Limited-time Seasonal Beverage Programs:** Seasonal cocktail lineups anchored by time-limited offerings stimulate repeat visits and create scarcity-driven demand that can shift purchasing patterns. - **Premium Nonalcoholic Add-ons:** The pairing of functional mixers and energy-drink bases with premium spirit add-ons signals a hybrid beverage segment that blurs distinctions between NA and alcoholic offerings. ### Who This Affects Most - **Casual Dining Chains:** Restaurant chains stand to benefit from rotating, celebrity-linked drink menus that amplify promotional windows and increase average check through high-margin beverage upgrades. - **Alcoholic Beverage Brands:** Spirit producers gain expanded retail and on-premise visibility via fast-food and casual-restaurant collaborations that translate celebrity equity into trial and scale. - **Functional Beverage Manufacturers:** Makers of energy and flavored NA bases are positioned to capture crossover demand by developing formats optimized for mixability, shelf-stable pairings and premium add-on integration. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Limited-Time QSR Summer Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/starbucks-summer-menu.md) - [Tiki-Inspired Cocktail Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tiki-social.md) - [Refreshing Tropical Mocktails](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mocktail-bar.md) - [Whimsically Festive Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/limited-edition-holiday-menu.md) - [Expansive RTD Libation Lineups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mixedup-cocktail-co.md) - [Mocktail-Inspired Cafe Drinks](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dutch-bros-coffee-menu.md) - [Seasonal RTD Flavors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cutwaters-newest-cocktail.md) - [Blended Summertime Beverage Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/frozen-beverages.md) - [Memorable Gin Cocktails](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/still-together-sips.md)