best ranch water recipe (tequila soda lime)

This ranch water recipe makes a light, refreshing, zippy cocktail you’ll want to sip on every hot summer day. It’s a tall tequila soda with a ton of fresh squeezed lime and extra bubbly, mineral-laden Topo Chico. 

Why I love it:

Ranch water doesn’t sound that special on paper (it actually sounds kind of bad), but I’ve learned never to judge a cocktail by glancing through the recipe. There’s always a sneaky synergy between the ingredients I can’t predict

In this case, all the earthy agave flavors of tequila shine through with a fresh balance of lime and icy-cold bubbles.

We take our recipe in a slightly non-traditional direction with the tiniest splash of Cointreau. You could sub in simple syrup, or your favorite liqueur, or ignore it completely. But we’ve found it smooths the lime and adds a little bit of richness to the drink. The amount is so small the drink doesn’t taste sweet; it’s hardly perceptible with the lime and bubbles. 

And that’s the biggest appeal of ranch water, for me. Sugary cocktails can weigh on you after a while. But I could sip this tart, bubbly, and deliciously dry drink all day. It’s all about good tequila in a cold, bubbly, honest way. 

ranch water drink ingredients:

• silver tequila
• limes
• orange liqueur
• sparkling mineral water (preferably Topo Chico)

how to make ranch water:

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
2. Add tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur.
3. Top with cold Topo Chico, toss in a lime wedge if you want, and enjoy!

do I have to use Topo Chico for ranch water?

No! Topo Chico is loved in ranch water recipes for its crisp texture and clean mineral flavor. It’s both naturally and artificially carbonated, giving the water a long-lasting bubbly consistency. It’s not aggressive or harsh, like some of the bigger canned water brands. And it’s a natural mineral water, sourced from springs in Monterrey, Mexico, so it has a delicate saline quality that goes so well with good tequila and lime!

If you don’t have Topo Chico (or can’t find it), use any brand of sparkling mineral water. In a pinch, though, feel free to substitute whatever plain bubbly water you have.

more recipe tips:

Use good tequila: Nothing in the recipe will hide harshness, so a smooth tequila is crucial. And the more aromatic spirits will really shine through. We love Emerald Spear, here!

Use Topo Chico Sparkling mineral water: See notes above about Topo Chico. While you can use whatever plain club soda you have, there is a difference in carbonation and mineral flavor.

Freshly squeezed lime juice: If there’s ever a place to bust out real limes and squeeze their juice, a ranch water drink is it. Lime is a key ingredient in the recipe-- there’s a lot of flavor nuance from the real lime that gets lost in the bottled juice.

make this ranch water recipe your own:

• Spicy: Muddle a few slices of jalapeno in the bottom of the glass.
• Mint: Muddle some fresh mint leaves in the bottom of the glass.
• Ginger: Muddle a few slices of ginger in the glass and, if desired, swap the Cointreau with ¾ oz ginger liqueur.
• Tropical: Add 1 oz pineapple juice and 1 oz coconut water.
• Lime oleosaccharum: To enhance the lime flavor, make a lime oleosaccharum (toss ½ cup sugar with zest of 4 limes and let it sit overnight). Use ½ oz of this syrup in place of the Cointreau.
• Grapefruit: Make the cocktail with 1 ½ oz fresh grapefruit juice + ½ oz lime juice and garnish with a spritz of grapefruit peel
• Strawberry: Muddle a ripe strawberry it the bottom of the glass, then layer the drink on top.
• Peach: Muddle a juicy peach slice it the bottom of the glass, then layer the drink on top. You can also add ¾ oz peach nectar in place of the Cointreau.
• Mango: Muddle a few mango chunks it the bottom of the glass, then layer the drink on top. You can also add ¾ oz mango nectar in place of the Cointreau.

More tequila cocktails to try:

blackberry tequila spritzer

blood orange margarita

cantarito drink

cucumber mint margarita

hibiscus margarita

mango margarita (frozen and on the rocks!)

mexican mule (tequila ginger beer cocktail)

mezcal negroni

mezcal sour with strawberries and ginger

pineapple margarita

spiced tamarind margarita

spicy cilantro jalapeño margarita

strawberry margarita

tequila sour

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