Ranch Water is riding a wave
West Texas has long run on Ranch Water. Over the years, the refreshing drink spread east, becoming a staple for many Texans statewide. In its purest, original form, Ranch Water is a mix of tequila, lime juice and sparkling water — preferably Topo Chico, of course. It’s a straightforward cocktail one would sip on after, say, a long day working on the ranch. Today it can just as easily be found at a dive bar in urban areas like Houston or Austin, and even in swankier establishments, perhaps with a fancy garnish or a chile-salt rim.
Ranch Water has entered its next step in commodification: It now comes in a can. The hard seltzer category has exploded in popularity in the past year alone, led by national phenomenons like White Claw and Truly. A few Texas-based beverage companies are attempting to ride that wave while putting a true Texan flavor on it.
Lori and Brad Foster worked in the beer business for 25 years before starting Shotgun Spiked Seltzer. They had seen craft beer evolve from just a few players nationwide to become increasingly hyper-local. Perhaps hard seltzer could go in the same direction, they thought. They launched their Austin-based company in March 2019, but only focused
on selling draft to bars and restaurants. Shotgun gained traction, and after six months, H-E-B approached them asking if they had considered packaging it for retail. They started to do so in November 2019, with Ranch Water as their first flavor.
Shotgun keeps it local by fermenting Sugar Land’s Imperial Sugar and agave nectar from Laredo for the base alcohol. The alcohol by volume is a little higher than the typical hard seltzer, at 6.9 percent, to keep the drink closer to a cocktail. “Tequila is tequila,” said Brad, referring to the traditional spirit in Ranch Water’s boozy nature.
Katie Beal Brown, the founder and CEO of Lone River Beverage Co., is a fourth-generation West Texan. When she moved away and grew homesick, Ranch Water was a piece of her roots she grasped on to. She made it for non-Texan friends who came to love it, too, but she saw an opportunity to better the experience of enjoying the cocktail.
“A lot of the situations we wanted to drink Ranch Water in weren’t conducive to lugging around a bottle of tequila and glassware,” said Brown. “I was looking for something that could be carried outdoors.”
Lone River’s Ranch Water officially launched in mid-April this year. It’s a blend of a glutenfree alcohol base from sugar and ingredients sourced from Mexico: organic agave nectar and Key lime juice, which lends a more floral note than regular limes.
Another company, Ranch Rider Spirits, is using actual tequila in its Ranch Water. Founders Quentin Cantu and Brian Murphy operated a food truck when they were students at the University of Texas at Austin. The Ranch Water started as shift drinks after long days cooking at the grill. At the beginning of 2020, they launched their own canned cocktails.
For the Ranch Water, they source reposado tequila from a family-owned distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. Cantu says using reposado, an aged tequila, gives the product a natural sweetness without having to add sugar. The limes come from Mexico and Texas.
While Shotgun is only distributed in Texas and plans to keep that focus, both Ranch Rider and Lone River have set their sights elsewhere. Lone River is also sold in Tennessee and will be available in a few other states by the end of the year. Ranch Rider is only in Texas for now, but will be in Southern California by year’s end and in Colorado, Florida and a few other markets starting next year.
The entrepreneurs feel confident about introducing their very Texan product to audiences who may not be that familiar with Ranch Water. They’ve been smart about branding, looking to convey the spirit of both the drink and the place in the cans’ outfit. Shotgun hired an Austin artist to design a mural-style drawing that wraps around the can, complete with cowboys, guitars and the Texas state outline.
Lone River’s grayish-white can is minimalist, also sporting a drawing of the state alongside a longhorn and agave plant. Ranch Rider went for a more rugged vibe, with a turquoise and bronze can depicting a desert scene.
“I think we each have our own unique twist on it,” said Brown about other products in the market. “It’s been nice to see that.”
She’s also launching two new Lone River Ranch Water flavors in August: a spicy version with jalapeño and one with Ruby Red grapefruit. A twist on the classic, but still 100 percent Texan.