Behind the Cocktail: Ranch Water, Reconsidered
Few drinks are as charmingly simple as Ranch Water. Tequila, lime, bubbles. No garnish, no modifiers. It’s a drink built on restraint—and that’s exactly why it lasts.
For The Taste Collective, an initiative by 1800 Tequila, that educates bartenders across the nation on taste, Ranch Water wasn’t chosen because it’s trendy. It was chosen because it travels. “It’s something that is easily replicable anywhere in the world and is a bright, refreshing drink that just about everyone enjoys,” says one of The Collective’s Taste Experts, Ignacio ‘Nacho’ Jimenez.
“It’s one that we had to do for a big collaboration like with The Taste Collective.”
The Taste Collective brings together bartenders and creators to spotlight drinks that live behind the bar. Ranch Water, with its regional roots and global adaptability, becomes the ideal canvas.
In this version, 1800 Tequila doesn’t fight for attention—it grounds the drink. “The smoky quality of the reposado is a perfect combination for the earthy notes of the prickly pear tonic we make for this,” Nacho explains. The result is a Ranch Water that still feels familiar, but carries a deeper, more layered profile—where subtle smoke meets gentle sweetness and desert fruit character.
That balance is where Ranch Water either succeeds or falls apart. According to Nacho, elevating the drink isn’t about overthinking it.
“Good tequila, fresh ingredients, and a great sparkling water will always elevate a Ranch Water.”
It’s a reminder that technique here isn’t about complexity—it’s about intention. For bartenders looking to riff, the advice is equally grounded. “You want to do your best to keep it close to the original,” he says.
“It should be bright and refreshing with a touch of acidity. The flavor should be a balance of sweetness and acidity with that fizz from soda water.”
This is the kind of thinking The Taste Collective is built around—respecting classics, spotlighting craftsmanship, and giving bartenders space to be creative and interpret without reinventing. And when Ranch Water is made well, it reminds you why the simplest drinks often last the longest.
Preparation
Rim a highball glass with hibiscus salt.
Combine all ingredients into the glass over a clear ice spear and top with club soda.
*Hibiscus Infused 1800 Reposado
Ingredients
750ml 1800 Reposado
20g hibiscus
Preparation
Combine 750ml of 1800 Reposado with 20g of hibiscus.
Infuse for 25 minutes then strain and bottle.
This is just the beginning. Join The Taste Collective and be on the lookout for the tour coming to a city near you—an opportunity to learn, taste Nacho’s Ranch Water, and use 1800 Tequila as a launchpad for your own creative exploration.
The post Behind the Cocktail: Ranch Water, Reconsidered appeared first on Chilled Magazine.