Ranch water ― the West Texas-born, tequila-lime spritz ― has inspired a handful of canned products this year. The latest entry comes from RancH2O, a new Dallas-based company co-founded by Lake Highlands native Amelia Lettieri.
Unlike the low-alcohol hard seltzers sold under the “ranch water” moniker, RancH2O′s version hews closer to the real deal, since it’s made with tequila.
“To me, it’s not ranch water unless it’s made with tequila,” says Lettieri. “We wanted it to feel like you’d walked away from a bar with a ranch water in hand."
She and her husband tasted half a dozen bulk-sold tequilas in search of the best one for her formula. “You can’t hide tequila in ranch water. We could taste the difference with lower-quality tequila,” she says. Lettieri chose a blanco tequila that she found “smooth, drinkable, and tastes clean on the palate.”
That same tequila is the base for RancH2O′s canned margarita, which Lettieri says is “clean-tasting, not syrupy ― not too tart and not too sweet.” The company also makes a vodka soda, and will be releasing a gin fizz in the spring.
When formulating the products, Lettieri and her husband invited 10 friends to be guinea pigs, tasting four different versions of each cocktail. “I didn’t want to put a product out that would make my friends say, ‘I’m really sad we know these people.’ Collectively, we found the right formula,” she says.
Lettieri has the business chops to launch a canned beverage line. Prior to founding RancH2O, she worked for a Dallas private equity firm in the acquisition of a specialty beverage co-packer for some leading beverage brands. “Our conference room was a tap room,” she says.
Several years later, she learned the retail side while working for 7-Eleven on the acquisition and integration of more than 700 convenience stores. But it’s her family’s West Texas roots that inspired Lettieri to make RancH2O’s flagship cocktail. “My mom grew up in Wink, Texas, and half of my family is from West Texas. So I’ve been drinking ranch water since before I should’ve," she says.
All of RancH2O′s canned cocktails weigh in at 150 calories. The alcohol by volume of both the Ranch Water and the Vodka Soda is 7%, and the Classic Marg is 6.5%. Sold in four packs of 12-ounce cans for $13.99, the three products will be widely available throughout Texas, beginning Oct. 9.
Tina Danze is a Dallas freelance writer.
