Spicy Grapefruit Ranch Water - A Refreshing Tequila Cocktail

I'm pretty sure this spicy grapefruit ranch water is going to be my go-to drink of the summer. Think of it as a homemade seltzer for adults. Tart grapefruit juice and lime juice are topped off with Topo Chico and spicy jalapeños.

And a little white tequila is all you need to give it margarita vibes...but just not as boozy. It's also a great alternative to hard seltzer. 

You may have had a Ranch Water before, and while I do love the original drink, I wanted to give it a refreshingly citrusy kick by adding fresh grapefruit juice.

For a day-long poolside or beach drink option to stave off the summer heat (without getting tipsy), I'll leave out the tequila. What's left is a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage. It's the best of both worlds!

If you're looking for other cocktail recipes, be sure to check out my Purple People Eater. For a year-round version of this gin drink, just omit the gummy googly eyeballs. The purple hue is even more enhanced when garnished with edible flowers.

My Spiced Bourbon Black Tea Hot Toddy is also a great choice. It's more suited for cold-weather months but pro tip: it can be served over ice too.

Two other drinks that I absolutely love are from some of my food blogger friends. If you love cocktails that whisk you away to a tropical location without having to leave the living room, be sure to check out my friend Juyali's Brazilian Passion Fruit Caipirinha.

And, if you're looking for a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage loaded with honey, warm spices, and vanilla, my friend Neyssa has an amazing Puerto Rican Horchata recipe that you must try.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Tasty tip
• Frequently asked questions
• Related
• Pairing
• 🍽Get the recipe
• Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
• Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather everything we need for this recipe.

• fresh grapefruit
• fresh limes
• Topo Chico (or other sparkling mineral water)
• white tequila
• Tajín
• jalapeño

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've gathered our ingredients, let's make this cocktail!

Hint: Be very careful when slicing the jalapeño. Either wear gloves or wash your hands well with soap and warm water. You definitely don't want to accidentally get jalapeño juice in your eyes. Ouch!

Substitutions

Need some substitution ideas? Here are a few:

• Grapefruit - I love the bright red shade and sweet, tart flavor of Indian River Ruby Red grapefruit (and because we used to live in the Indian River region of Florida.) Rio Red and Star Ruby grapefruit are similar in sweetness and flavor too. Feel free to use other varieties of grapefruit--you may just need to adjust the amount of sweetness by adding a little honey or organic agave if the drink is too tart.
• Topo Chico - Given that this is a Mexican-inspired tequila cocktail, that's the sparkling water I like to use. Feel free to use your favorite carbonated water instead.
• Tajín - Tajín is a Mexican spice blend made of dehydrated lime, chile peppers, and salt. I love the color it adds to the rim of the drink but margarita salt is a great subsitute too.
• Tequila - I use good white/silver tequila (blanco tequila) for this drink. If you're looking for an even smoother finish, reposado tequila is also delicious. This type of tequila is aged longer than blanco tequila. Or, if you're not a fan of tequila at all, try vodka or white rum instead.

Variations

Here are some other ways to adjust this recipe:

• Smoky - If you're a fan of smoky drinks like bourbon or scotch whisky, then mezcal is a great way to change up this recipe. The smokiness of mezcal is a wonderful pairing to the grapefruit and lime juice.
• Spice-free - Not a fan of spicy things? Just omit the jalapeño for a spice-less cocktail.
• Cucumber - Cucumber is a naturally watery vegetable, and slices of cucumber are a great addition to this drink.
• Other citrus fruit - Want ranch water with a fruity spin but not in the form of grapefruit? Try tangerine juice or lemon juice instead.

Equipment

Here's the equipment you'll need to make this cocktail:

• juicer
• Cocktail glass
• liquid measuring cup
• measuring spoons

Storage

I doubt you'll have any leftovers, but they don't hold up well in the refrigerator unless you remove the ice cubes.

Tasty tip

You can also make a big-batch of the ranch water base and then top with ice and sparkling water to serve.

Frequently asked questions

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are the dishes I like to serve with this grapefruit ranch water:

🍽Get the recipe

Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips

When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:

• Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
• When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
• I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
• When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

Food safety

Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.

• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.