Ranch Water
Three-ingredient simple to make and absolutely sippable—the Mezcal Ranch Water.
Servings 1 cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon mezcal or tequila (see Kitchen Notes)
- 1 teaspoon lime juice (see Kitchen Notes)
- ice
- club soda—ideally Topo Chico (see Kitchen Notes)
- a lime wedge or wheel for garnish optional
Instructions
- Put a lot of ice in a lowball glass. Add the mezcal and lime juice. Top up with club soda. Stir lightly with a swizzle stick or a spoon or your finger. Taste—you may want to adjust the volume of lime a tad. Done.
- Sit in the shade, sipping, chilling. You are very intelligent.
Kitchen Notes
Traditionally, ranch water is made with tequila. As Terry says, we like tequila, but we love mezcal, so that is what we used here. These days our go-to is Montelobos Espadin. If you are looking for a modestly priced mezcal that is both sippable and mixable, we recommend trying Banhez Joven or Gracias a Dios.
Lime juice. You can used bottled lime juice in a pinch, but in a recipe like this, which has just a few elements, the integrity of the individual parts really matters, meaning we hope you will use freshly squeezed. Whatever your choice, keep the ratio three parts liquor, one part lime juice.
The classic version of this drink uses Topo Chico soda. If you can find it, buy it! It is lovely. Here in Chicago, it also tends to sell out super fast.