Weber Ranch: bucking the trend
Why does this matter?
Features a beverage startup from former Patrón executives with innovative production methods, rapid multi-state expansion, digital/AI strategy (virtual bartender), and compelling product innovation that BevTech founders can learn from.
Highlights
As the first vodka made from 100% Blue Weber agave, Weber Ranch is challenging the status quo of the vodka category as it aims to become a household brand. "Born in Jalisco, crafted in Texas” is the phrase used to describe Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka, which straddles the worlds of agave spirits and vodka and is the first product of its kind on the market. The brand was launched in May 2024 as the debut product from a group of former Patrón Tequila executives, and has since rapidly expanded across the US. Weber Ranch is made using hand-harvested Blue Weber agave, from Jalisco, Mexico, where it is first distilled and then taken to the company’s distillery in Muenster, Texas, for a second distillation – in proprietary copper pot and column stills, where it is filtered and bottled. The importance of agave can also be seen in the brand’s name – ‘1902’ is the year that Blue Weber agave was catalogued by French botanist Frédéric Albert Constantin Weber. Weber Ranch is now available in 48 US states, counting Texas, California, and Florida among its biggest markets. The brand works with major distribution players such as Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Kevin Clark, the chief operating officer (COO) of Weber Ranch’s parent company, Round 2 Spirits, says: “I think reaching that many markets that quickly is a testament to how serious of a player we are in this space.” Clark believes the brand’s positioning as the first vodka made from 100% Blue Weber agave was key to attracting listings. “Distributors right now are looking for innovative products like ours to grow their business and bring something new to consumers,” he adds. The ‘better-for-you’ movement in the US has also benefitted the brand, with it being low in calories with zero sugar or carbohydrates, gluten-free and additive-free. Additives are a hot topic in the Tequila industry, but Mexican producers are barred from making claims of using no additives in their topic by the country’s regulator. This is not the case for Weber Ranch. As a vodka brand, it is able to communicate its additive-free nature freely across its marketing and on its label. Both Clark and master distiller Antonio Rodriguez believe that transparency is becoming increasingly more important to consumers. The product’s versatility and cross-category appeal also makes it attractive for the trade, as Clark points out. The on-premise is the main focus for building Weber Ranch, which can be utilised in an array of cocktails, from Martinis to Margaritas. “Vodka has been the leading category by volume in the US, and I think globally for decades, going back to the 70s,” Clark reflects. He recalls how the vodka sector has progressed over time, from the premiumisation trend to the craft boom and the rise of flavoured vodkas. “I think there’s been that evolution, but I don’t think that evolution is the same as innovation,” he says, noting that vodka’s definition offers a huge range of possibilities. Clark believes there’s been a lack of innovation in the industry, adding that many vodkas have been made with a “low-cost neutral spirit from corn, wheat or potatoes”. There was an “opportunity for innovation” when it came to creating Weber Ranch, according to Clark, while at the same time meeting consumer demand for ingredient transparency and the shift towards premium. At the helm of its creation is Rodriguez, former production director at Patrón, who is also chief brand officer of Round 2 Spirits. The business was aptly named ‘Round 2’ to represent the second project from a group of drinks veterans. The company is led by: former Patrón founder John Paul DeJoria; Ed Brown, who was CEO of Patrón Spirits for more than 20 years; Lee Applbaum, former chief marketing officer at Patrón and Grey Goose Vodka; Brad Vassar, who was COO of Southern Glazer’s for 15 years; and Dave Wilson, who was formerly president international and COO at Patrón Spirits. The team spent one year developing Weber Ranch before launching it. As Rodriguez explains, the Tequila sector has been inundated with launches, and creating a vodka using agave brings a wider audience to the category. With Weber Ranch, the aim is to push back against the “old misconception that every vodka is boring and flat”, he says. A strong digital strategy has also been key to driving the brand’s growth. In one “happy accident”, Rodriguez recalls that Weber Ranch was given a major boost when it was used by a bartender in a viral Matcha Martini recipe on TikTok and Instagram. He notes how bartenders are creatively using Weber Ranch’s flavour profile to improve existing vodka-based cocktails or create new serves, inspired by the brand’s unique mouthfeel and production process. He adds that the company’s digital strategy seeks to tap into opportunities, like the viral Matcha Martini, which helps to spread word of mouth for Weber Ranch. All-occasion spirit Weber Ranch is also positioning itself as an “all-occasion-type spirit”, according to Clark. “Anything from brunch drinks, Spritzes and Bloody Marys to daytime activities on the golf course or at the beach or the lake.” But away from matcha and Margaritas, if there’s one cocktail that has been a major driver for Weber Ranch, it’s the Espresso Martini. “Everybody’s drinking them. I think Weber Ranch makes an amazing Espresso Martini. We’re having a lot of success there in the on-trade,” Clark highlights, naming the coffee-based serve as having the biggest concentration on cocktail menus where Weber Ranch is served. “There’s so many twists and spins you can put on it and we’re seeing people get really creative.” Beyond cocktails, the vodka also works well in simple serves like soda water and citrus. Weber Ranch has also sought to harness the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to make its product more accessible, helping consumers to easily find the product and identify ways to serve it. The virtual bartender service, called ‘Tex’, provides consumers with cocktail recipe suggestions and directs users to a bar or store that sells Weber Ranch through texts. “We call it a bartender in a pocket,” Rodriguez says. “It’s a way to discover the brand.” As for Weber Ranch’s future plans, Rodriguez hasn’t ruled out new products but for now the focus is on the core SKU. “Right now, our current emphasis is to continue growing the brand, growing in those key markets and in the on-premise,” says Clark. His ambition in the near-term is to reach the 100,000-case mark annually. “A brand cements itself when it hits that hurdle; it would unlock a lot of opportunity.” When I ask what the company’s goal is for the long-term, Clark has high hopes to establish Weber Ranch vodka as a “household name”. He adds: “We envision this brand to be an iconic brand that everyone knows, to be a [bar] call.”
The Spirits Business
