Best Canned Ranch Water We Found in a Taste Test [Updated!]

Ranch Water is one of the most refreshing cocktails to drink in the summer, so why wouldn’t you want a six-pack of canned Ranch Water ready to go at all times? Luckily, there are a bunch of canned Ranch Water brands on the market. Unluckily, not all of them are great. But, after a series of taste tests, we found the best canned Ranch Water—no matter your taste in the deceptively simple cocktail. 

The best canned Ranch Water cocktail is more than just a Tequila Seltzer. It’s spritzy and tequila-forward, for sure, but it also has that all important addition of lime juice, which, even though it’s canned, should taste like fresh lime juice. There are just three essential ingredients: blanco tequila (sometimes reposado), lime juice, and seltzer—Topo Chico, ideally, if you’re making it at home. Interestingly enough, Topo Chico does not make the best Ranch Water in a can. Like so many other brands, theirs tasted like a glorified citrus-flavored hard seltzer. And we’re looking for the best canned Ranch Water, not the best Ranch Water seltzer (although, you will find that on this list if that’s what you’re craving). The assignment was simple, but so many brands just couldn’t pull it off!

We tried all the Ranch Water cans we could find (including spicy Ranch Water) and we found a couple of brands that really nailed it—along with a few others that deserve recognition for their efforts. These other brands aren’t making truly classic Ranch Water cocktails, but they’re making darn good variations on the concept, and that might be exactly what you’re looking for. Here’s our ranking of the six best Ranch Water cans you can buy.

Best Spicy Ranch Water

This spicy Ranch Water doesn’t really taste like Ranch Water, but it’s a Ranch Water hard seltzer and it lives up to its most important promise: It is, in fact, spicy. It’s limey, it’s nice and fizzy, and it has a great jalapeño burn. It actually made my nose run a little! This was way more interesting than the non-spicy version of Lone River’s Ranch Water seltzer. It’s not the best canned Ranch Water, but if you want some heat and you don’t mind a Ranch Water hard seltzer (and tastes like one), it’s a good option. — Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Merc / Lone River

Rating:

7/10

Sporks

Best Sweet

If someone made a Ranch Water-flavored soda, this is what it would taste like. It’s sweet like cream soda, but has a lot of tequila on the nose, which we liked. The flavor reminded Sporked editor-in-chief (and cocktail expert) Justine Sterling of cooked agave. All in all, this is very easy to drink. It’s limey without being too zingy, and the sweetness makes it go down smooth, although I’m not sure how many you could drink in a sitting. If straight-up tequila, soda, and lime is too no-frills for you, you might actually like this canned Ranch Water better. — Gwynedd Stuart

Credit: Merc / Painted Donkey

Rating:

7.5/10

Sporks

Best Reposado

Most Ranch Water is made with bright, crisp, vegetal blanco tequila. But this Ranch Water can from Austin, Texas-based Ranch Rider Spirits Co. is made with reposado tequila, which is briefly barrel aged (blanco is unaged). That gives this canned Ranch Water a much rounder, sweeter flavor than other Ranch Water cans. It’s not as acidic as others. It’s extremely easy drinking. And it almost tastes like there’s some grilled orange in the mix. It’s different from any other canned Ranch Water we tried. Personally, I think it needs a little spritz of lime, but if you don’t love super acidic drinks, then this is the best Ranch Water for you. — Justine Sterling 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Limey

If you’re all in on citrus, however, this is the best Ranch Water for you. Made with lots of citrus (both lime and lemon), it tastes like fresh lime zest and lime juice—like you muddled half a lime with tequila and topped it all off with sparkling water. It’s very spritzy, with teeny, tiny bubbles. And just so. much. lime. Always asking for extra lime from the bartender? You’ve found the best Ranch Water in a can. Plus, it’s 8% ABV. So, sip slowly. — Justine Sterling 

Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart

Rating:

8.5/10

Sporks

Best Refreshing

Before our most recent update, this was the number one best canned Ranch Water. And it still remains very, very good. Justine actually tried this during her taste test of all the Cutwater canned cocktails, and loved this as much as I did. “It tastes like a good, homemade Ranch Water with a healthy slug of tequila, a squeeze of lime, and a refreshing pour of seltzer,” she wrote. It’s still the best Ranch Water that’s widely available. Chances are, you can find it at your closest, large-ish liquor store. It was a real toss up between this Ranch Water and the new number one. So, if you can only find this one, know that you’re in good, limey, tequila-y hands.

Credit: Merc / Cutwater

Rating:

9.5/10

Sporks

Best of the Best

This took the title of best Ranch Water in our best canned tequila cocktail ranking, and now it’s unseating the former champ to take the title in our overall best Ranch Water in a can ranking. It really tastes like Ranch Water made by a bartender. The soda water is crisp. The lime is fresh and there’s the perfect amount of it. And you can actually taste the tequila. And it tastes like good tequila. Plus, it’s just boozy enough at 6% ABV. — Justine Sterling

Credit: Liv Averett / Reserve Bar

Rating:

10/10

Sporks

Other Ranch Water cans we tried: Lone River Ranch Water Variety Pack, Dos Equis Ranch Water Variety Pack, Topo Chico Ranch Water, Cutwater Ranch Water Variety Pack, El Padrino Mango Ranch Water, El Padrino Strawberry Ranch Water

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