Weber Ranch Vodka Debuts A New AI Mixology Tool Using ChatGPT

Forbes

5 days ago

Weber Ranch Vodka has debuted a new artificial intelligence mixology tool called 'Tex,' a text-based chatbot that can help drinkers craft cocktails at home.
Lee Applbaum, president and chief operating officer of Round 2 Spirits, which owns Weber Ranch, tells me in a virtual interview that Tex was developed to make at-home mixology more accessible, while still recommending complex recipes that closely replicate the experience of drinking at a bar or restaurant.
'The mixology movement has been growing and evolving, and we have these wonderful cocktail experiences when we go out, carefully curated, bespoke cocktails that pair beautifully with even the most esoteric cuisine,' says Applbaum. 'And then we go home and we try to do the same thing, and it's very, very difficult.'
This education is especially critical for brands like Weber Ranch, an agave-based vodka brand that was developed to be a versatile base spirit that can be mixed in a lot of different cocktails. But that wide range of possibilities could also be intimidating.
More than 70% of Tex's insights are powered by ChatGPT's GPT-4.1 large language model. The remaining data comes from Weber Ranch's own knowledge bank, which includes bartender recipes that were developed on the brand's behalf. Weber Ranch built the tool in partnership with Cyphr, a New York and London-based digital-focused design studio.
How Tex Answers Mixology Questions With A Simple Text
After verifying their legal drinking age, consumers can text #AskTex to 1-940-400-1902 and will get detailed responses when asking questions like 'What cocktail should I make with tequila and lime' or 'How do I make a gimlet?' Users can also send Tex a photo of ingredients and the chatbot will offer recommendations. My fridge was sparse, with an image that I sent Tex only showing wine, beer, yogurt and milk. Tex still managed to suggest a Weber Ranch vodka spritz mixed with red wine.
Tex's texting tone is intended to be smart and witty with a bit of a Texan drawl, occasionally tossing a 'y'all' into the conversation. Applbaum says Weber Ranch was also careful to build a conversational tool that would adhere to safety guardrails. Any inappropriate questions are immediately steered back to mixology. 'We're going to continue to monitor and manage it,' says Applbaum. 'That's part of the burden of responsibility.'
He says it is also important to stress that Tex isn't meant to be an AI replacement for human bartenders and mixologists. 'There's a lot of concern—a lot of it is very real—about AI replacing humans in a wide range of jobs,' says Applbaum. 'That is not the intention here. This is for at-home consumption.'
Weber Ranch Was Developed By Former Patrón Execs
Weber Ranch was launched in May 2024, crafted by a team of liquor industry insiders who mostly hailed from Patrón Tequila, which is now owned by rum maker Bacardi. The brand's position has been to combine the expertise of Patrón alums in the agave world and take on the vodka category.
While sales of tequila and mezcal, by far the two most popular agave-based spirits, have notched stronger growth in the U.S. market, vodka remains the spirits category leader. Vodka's revenue totaled $7.2 billion in 2024, while tequila and mezcal ranked second at $6.7 billion, according to figures by industry advocate the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.
Weber Ranch also benefits from the rising consumer interest in alternative agave spirits. Tequila and mezcal operate with highly regulated production methods, specified raw materials and must come from very specific, geographically protected regions within Mexico. But Weber Ranch and agave variations from both within Mexico and markets abroad like South Africa and Australia are giving consumers new ways to enjoy the plant's flavor profile that tends to be described as both sweet and smoky.
'We don't discuss specific growth targets,' says Applbaum, when asked about Weber Ranch's growth since launch. But he says the strategy is to focus on both distribution—Weber Ranch is now sold in 46 states—as well as selling through once the brand finds its way on cocktail lists, behind the bar, and retail shelves.