What Is Ranch Water? And Why Is Everyone Drinking It?

Summer is upon us. There are many ways to combat the scorching blaze, but if sitting in your underwear in a kiddie pool full of hose water out on the front lawn isn’t for you (or your complaining neighbors), you might want to cool down with a frosty Ranch Water! Ranch Water is a light and effortlessly refreshing three-ingredient cocktail. According to a Washington Post interview with Eloise Bryan (the lead concierge at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, Texas, where the White Buffalo Bar is frequently credited as originating the drink), Ranch Water was first concocted “because cowboys are out there working hard all day, and they want good water, but they want it a little bit spiked.” Well, luckily cowboys aren’t the only people who get to enjoy it! Let’s take a look at everything that makes Ranch Water a wonderful summer staple. 

What is in Ranch Water?

Ranch Water is absurdly easy to make since it only utilizes simple and readily available ingredients. All you need is tequila, a lime (for juice as well as garnish), and Topo Chico seltzer. Pretty uncomplicated, right? 

What does Ranch Water taste like?

While the simplest comparison to Ranch Water’s singular taste is a skinny Margarita, there is one key difference: Unlike a Margarita, Ranch Water doesn’t typically include any sweetening agents like orange liqueur (such as Cointreau) or agave. Ranch Water diehards say this is part of what makes the drink so refreshing. So, it’s more like a Tequila Soda than a Margarita.

What alcohol is in Ranch Water?

Ranch Water is traditionally made using a nice, smooth blanco (white or silver) tequila. Blanco tequila has a natural sweetness and fruit-forward taste, making it a good foil for lime juice. 

What is Ranch Water seltzer?

Like many cocktails these days, Ranch Water has been commodified into a canned cocktail you can easily buy at any supermarket or liquor store! Brands like Painted Donkey and Cutwater offer delicious Ranch Water seltzers…but which is best? Make sure to take a look at our rundown of the best canned Ranch Water to make sure you buy the right one! 

There may not be too much to be glad about in 2023, but one thing we can all shout “yippee-ki-yay” about is that we don’t have to work the arduous manual labor of a farmhand in order to glug down a tasty Ranch Water on a hot summer evening. By all means, rope cattle if you wish, but for now at least, it isn’t mandatory!