These days, you can settle into just about any bar in the South and see Ranch Water on the menu. Most of the time, it is prepared fresh, but sometimes it is canned or dressed up with fancy garnishes. This crisp, no-nonsense cocktail quenches your thirst on a hot summer day and has taken over patios, pool decks, and honky tonks—but it actually has roots deep in the heart of Texas, at one restaurant in particular.
Long before Ranch Water became a national darling, it was on the menu at Ranch 616 in Austin, Texas. It was dreamed up by the late Kevin Williamson, founder of Ranch 616, who began pouring it for himself before turning it into a must-have cocktail sensation.
A Hunting Camp Drink
Ranch Water did not start out as a trend; it began as a way for Williamson to keep up with his dad on hunting trips in the 1990s.
According to Pam Blanton, co-owner of Ranch 616, “Kevin would go hunting with his dad, and they would have a thermos of tequila on ice. Kevin would dilute the tequila with lime and the water in his water bottle. He loved that drink.”…