Chipotle Mexican Grill is now serving its first seasonal beverage of the year in the U.S. and Canada, a press release reported.
"We're thrilled to introduce our first seasonal beverage with the freshest flavors of summer," vice president of marketing at Chipotle, Stephanie Perdue, said in the release. "The consumer response to watermelon limeade surpassed expectations as it quickly became our bestselling Tractor Beverage in test markets last year."
Under the terms of the launch, 5% of the profits earned from the product will be allocated to support farmers.
According to the press release, the restaurant’s culinary team formed a collaboration with Tractor Beverage to develop a recipe that would complement its 53 ingredients.
“Watermelon limeade builds upon Chipotle's successful organic beverage program with Tractor, offering a new way for fans to experience their go-to order with seasonal flavors,” a recent press release stated. “In 2021, Chipotle leveraged its stage-gate process to test watermelon limeade in Atlanta, Kansas City and Orange County, California, before deciding on a launch strategy.”
With a refreshing lemon and watermelon twist, the new watermelon limeade is made with real lime, all-natural, certified organic, non-GMO ingredients and no additives or preservatives.
"Creating real drinks that enhance real food is in our DNA, and this first-ever seasonal collaboration with Chipotle takes that commitment to a whole new level," said Travis Potter, co-founder of Tractor Beverage, in the release. "We're thrilled to bring the handcrafted flavor and entirely natural ingredients of our watermelon limeade to Chipotle's fans this summer, while working together to support the farmers who make all of our certified organic drinks possible."
The launch was made by Chipotle’s organic beverage program, which is tied to the brand’s commitment to offer organic ingredients. The company’s efforts to become more organic-friendly also includes its 40 million-pound organic ingredient acquisition in 2021, and the $5 million it plans to allocate by the end of 2025 to support the farming industry and farmers under the age of 40 who fulfill its Food with Integrity standards.