Wetzel's The Things' Blue Lemonade Freeze Runs Until December 6 — and the Sweepstakes in the Coverage Closed on October 20

Wetzel's Pretzels announced on October 7, 2026 that it had partnered with Warner Bros. Pictures Animation for The Cat in the Hat, and had added one limited-time drink to the menu.

The drink is The Things' Blue Lemonade Freeze, named after the Thing characters. Wetzel's describes it as layering Cherry Boba with Frozen Lemonade and Blue Raspberry Granita.

All three of those components already exist at Wetzel's — Frozen Lemonade and Blue Raspberry Granita are both on the standing drinks menu. What the tie-in added is the combination and the name, not a new ingredient.

Sarah Curtis, Vice President of Marketing for Wetzel's Pretzels, said in the announcement that the drink is "a refreshingly playful mix of tart and sweet" and called the film a fitting partnership for the brand. Wetzel's also suggests pairing it with its Dog Bites or Pizza Bitz, both existing items.

Wetzel's named its own last day in the announcement: the drink is available "until December 6, 2026". That is a company-stated end date rather than one inferred from the film's run, which is worth noting because most chains announce a limited-time item and never say when it leaves.

On November 1, 2026 the drink was listed on Wetzel's Featured menu, which the company describes as the page for limited-time items. It was the only item on that page.

It is not on Wetzel's drinks menu. That page listed Lemonade, Frozen Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Strawberry Frozen Lemonade, Blue Raspberry Granita and Kiwi Strawberry Granita, and nothing else, when it was checked the same day. That is the expected split for a limited-time drink rather than a sign of anything changing — but it does mean a reader checking the drinks menu for it will not find it there.

A lot of the coverage of this launch points readers at a sweepstakes. It has closed.

Wetzel's own Official Sweepstakes Rules, still posted at wetzels.com/thecatinthehat, set the Sweepstakes Period as October 6, 2026 at 9:00 AM to October 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM Scottsdale, Arizona time. Winners were to be selected in a random drawing on or about October 21, 2026 and notified by email the same day.

The rules are also more specific than the announcement was. There were four winners, not one: a grand prize winner receiving a private screening of the film in their hometown, assorted themed merchandise and a $50 Wetzel's Pretzels gift card, plus three runner ups each receiving the merchandise and a $50 gift card. The screening is capped at 51 people and an approximate retail value of $1,500, with Wetzel's choosing the theatre, date and time. Entry was open to US residents aged 18 or over, excluding Rhode Island and all territories.

The rules page remaining online is normal — sweepstakes rules are usually left up after the fact — and is not an indication that entries are still being taken.

Wetzel's has not published a price for The Things' Blue Lemonade Freeze.

The announcement gives no figure, and neither the Featured menu page nor the drinks menu page carries prices at all. Wetzel's is a franchise of more than 400 locations, and pricing at franchised chains is commonly set by the operator, so a single national figure may not exist to publish.

Any specific price quoted for this drink elsewhere did not come from Wetzel's. This page will carry one if the company states it.