Class Action Says Dos Equis Ranch Water Hard Seltzer Lacks Tequila, Lime

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A proposed class action alleges Dos Equis Ranch Water “Classic Lime” hard seltzer is falsely advertised in that the beverage contains neither tequila nor lime—ingredients consumers expect to find in traditional ranch water.

The 12-page case says that true “ranch water” began decades ago as a simple mix of tequila, ice and lime typically consumed from a thermos by West Texas cowboys working under the hot sun. At some point, carbonated water was added to the mix, and from there ranch water’s popularity spread beyond Texas, the suit states. 

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The lawsuit says that although the Dos Equis Ranch Water label includes the statements “Naturally Flavored With Other Natural Flavors,” “Classic Lime,” “Hard Seltzer,” and “Ranch Water,” the hard seltzer is misrepresented given that it does not contain tequila or lime, and more closely resembles a beer. Instead of tequila from agave, defendant Heineken USA uses alcohol from a fermented sugar base, and in place of limes, the ingredients list states “Natural Flavors [and] Citric Acid,” the filing says. 

“Nowhere on any visible part of the packaging or label are consumers told they are not buying a beverage without tequila but one actually classified as a flavored beer,” the suit summarizes. 

The filing contends that consumers have paid more for Dos Equis Ranch Water than they would have had they known it lacked certain key ingredients. 

“Plaintiff read ‘Ranch Water,’ ‘Hard Seltzer,’ ‘Classic Lime’ and the flavor statement, and expected the Product contained some alcohol from tequila and lime ingredients,” the suit says. 

According to the complaint, real ranch water is “not highly processed through complicated machinery” as it’s typically made by pouring tequila, lime juice and sparkling water over ice. Today, ranch water fits into a trend of “better for you” alcoholic beverages touted as containing natural and simple ingredients, the case adds. 

The lawsuit argues that the label of Dos Equis Ranch Water leads consumers to believe that the product is a hard seltzer containing the ingredients expected to be found in ranch water. The product’s ingredients list, however, reveals that the drink contains “alcohol (from sugar)” and artificial flavoring to deliver a lime taste, the suit relays. 

“Malt beverages such as the Product are required to indicate the class they fit into,” the case says. “‘Ranch Water’ above ‘Hard Seltzer’ does not identify the Product’s base class and/or type designation, which is beer.” 

The lawsuit looks to cover consumers in Illinois, Texas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska, Iowa, Mississippi, West Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina, Maine and Utah who bought Dos Equis Ranch Water during the applicable statute of limitations period. 

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