Travis Scott goes from McDonald's meals to hard seltzer, inks deal with Anheuser-Busch

Travis Scott is cashing in on food and beverage partnerships this year.

The rapper, who saw huge success with his recent McDonald’s collaboration (MCD), announced on Thursday that he will be releasing a new hard seltzer brand with big-time brewing company Anheuser-Busch (BUD).

Scott is the latest celebrity to attach his name to the niche market, which has exploded in popularity among drinkers that skew younger. The drink, called Cacti, is set to hit shelves in spring 2021, and will include three flavors initially: Lime, pineapple and strawberry.

Inspired “by the flavors of tequila and the light and refreshing taste of seltzer,” Catci will be spiked with agave — a nod to Scott’s love for the distilled beverage made from a blue agave plant, the company said.

In a press release Scott said he and his team “really went in, not only on getting the flavor right, but on thousands of creative protos on everything from the actual beverage, to the can concept, to the packaging and how it is presented to the world.”

At 7% ABV, Cacti will have a much higher alcohol content when compared to top competitors White Claw and Truly, which both clock in at 5% ABV.

Catci will join AB InBev’s other hard seltzer offerings, including Michelob Ultra seltzer, Bud Light Seltzer, and Bon & Viv, which launched as the first hard seltzer brand in 2013.

The global hard seltzer market, which was valued at just $4.4 billion in 2019, is expected to reach $14.5 billion by 2027, according to Grandview Research.

In September, Scott partnered with McDonald’s to launch the widely popular “Travis Scott Meal” — a limited-edition menu item that included a Quarter Pounder with cheese, bacon and lettuce, BBQ sauce, medium-sized fries and a Sprite.

The deal, which led to merchandise designed by Scott himself, proved to be a lucrative partnership for the 28-year-old Grammy-nominee.

According to Forbes, Scott is estimated to have earned $5 million from the endorsement part of the deal and $15 million from merchandise sales.

Following the meal’s debut, McDonald’s same-store U.S. sales jumped from an 8.7% drop in the second quarter to a 4.6% gain in the third — a rarity amid the pandemic, and proof that consumers gravitated toward the menu item, which was so successful that some stores ran out of ingredients.

Alexandra is a producer & entertainment correspondent at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @alliecanal8193

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