Taco Bell is expanding its menu at its Live Más Cafés with a new line of cold brews.
Cold brew is made differently from iced coffee, which is brewed hot. Cold brew is made more slowly, which fans say gives it a smoother, more subtle flavor.
According to Nola Krieg, director of product development for the Irvine-based fast food giant, Taco Bell’s specialty iced coffee drinks tend to be creamy, while cold brew is more for coffee purists.
Cold brew drinkers are choosy, she said during a preview at a Live Mas Cafe near UC Irvine earlier this month.
“They’re very particular on where they go. We decided we’d take our time with cold brew. … We believe we’ve nailed it.”
Live Más Café’s cold brew debuted on Thursday, May 21. It’s made with air-roasted medium and dark roast Arabica beans grown in Latin America and served in clear cups with sipping lids.
Customers can order cold brew over ice or with the choice of three cold foams: Vanilla Cream, Caramel Dulce, and Purple Velvet, which has “warm cinnamon horchata notes.”
Cold Brew with Purple Horchata Cold Foam was one of more than 20 new items for 2026 that Taco Bell teased at its annual fan event, Live Mas Live. It aired in March at the Hollywood Palladium.
Live Más Cafés are being created out of Taco Bell’s existing restaurants. Taco Bell opened the first one in December 2024 in Chula Vista. There are now 38 locations, according to representatives. Most are in Southern California, and there are also some in Nevada and Texas.
Live Más Cafés are remodeled with their own purple and white color scheme and menu boards that focus on beverages, although they still serve Taco Bell’s food menu.
Live Más Cafés serve Refrescas, which have been called Taco Bell’s version of refreshers; shakes called Chillers; Freezes, which are like slushes; and dirty sodas.
Cold brew is only being served at Live Más Cafés and not the roughly 9,000 traditional Taco Bells worldwide.
Cafes will be celebrating the new lineup on May 30. The first 300 customers receive a free bandana with the purchase of a medium Cold Brew, according to listings on the ticketing website Eventbrite.
Information: tacobell.com/promotions/live-mas-cafe