Latest news with #WeberRanch
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Weber Ranch Vodka Debuts A New AI Mixology Tool Using ChatGPT
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.
Malaysian Reserve
5 days ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
WEBER RANCH VODKA INTRODUCES 'TEX,' A FIRST-OF-ITS KIND PERSONALIZED ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MIXOLOGIST
AI-Powered Experience, Delivered Through SMS or Online Chat, Inspires Creativity and Celebrates Cocktail Craftsmanship MUENSTER, Texas, Aug. 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka, the innovative new vodka brand distilled exclusively from 100% Blue Weber Agave, has launched 'Tex,' a groundbreaking new tool that combines professional mixology expertise with the intelligence of AI – delivered right through SMS text or online chat – to help address consumers' ongoing frustration with how to craft and perfectly pair cocktails at home. Personified by an icon of a friendly Texan tipping his cowboy hat, Tex ('Your Weber Ranch AI Mixologist') leverages cutting-edge OpenAI technology to connect users instantly with a Weber Ranch virtual bartender trained on the knowledge of industry pros. It's a useful, functional, and remarkably individualized tool (not scripted) that highlights the versatility of Weber Ranch Vodka in cocktails, utilizing recipes that were created by bartenders across the country. By blending human creativity with AI precision, Tex is ready to recommend, guide, and personalize drink recipes anywhere, anytime. To use 'Tex,' simply text #AskTex to 1-940-400-1902 or click this LINK. And of course, 'Tex' is also available on the Weber Ranch Vodka website, 'While most companies and brands use AI simply for automated customer service 'chat,' we're doing something very different and innovative, harnessing the immense power of AI technology to create a first-of-its-kind personalized tool that deepens customer engagement in a way that is helpful, informative, and fun,' says Lee Applbaum, President and CEO of Texas-based Round 2 Spirits, the brand owner and creator of Weber Ranch Vodka. 'AI is replacing search, it's the way that people access and consume information today, and Tex delivers on that in an entertaining way, while also staying true to our respect and appreciation for the professional bartender's craft. Also, as we think about the future of Tex, and with the rise of Agentic AI, we clearly see a not-so-distant world where he not only makes recipe recommendations, but actually orders the ingredients for delivery to a consumer's home, or makes restaurant or bar reservations to enjoy a Weber Ranch cocktail.' Tex was built for real-world, real-life behavior. For example, users can snap a photo of the items inside their refrigerator or pantry, text it to Tex, and immediately get a cocktail recipe suggestion, using ingredients on-hand. Tex can also direct people to a bar or retail store, or answer questions about batching recipes, planning a cocktail menu for a special occasion, personalizing cocktail names for a friend's birthday party, find alternative ingredients, or virtually anything else that someone might want to ask about bartending and cocktails or brand and category information. Because Tex isn't scripted, the exact way he phrases answers will be different each time. Over 70 percent of Tex's logic is powered by ChatGPT, not just for conversation, but for core application logic. Development of the tool will never be completed, it will only continue to get better and smarter as more people engage with it, and those engagements over time help improve Tex's reasoning, and his answers. 'Most bots just talk. Ours thinks,' says James Penfold, co-founder and Experience Director at New York and London-based Cyphr, the digital-first experience and venture studio that partnered with the Weber Ranch team to master the technology behind Tex. 'Tex isn't just answering questions, he's learning what you like and adapting. The more you interact, the more personalized your experience becomes – just like talking to your favorite bartender who remembers your favorite drink.' This digital-first approach to marketing is baked into Weber Ranch's ethos of innovation. Not only has the brand disrupted the vodka category by creating a vodka distilled from agave (whereas most other vodkas are made from wheat, corn, or potato), from the day that Weber Ranch launched last year it has leveraged leading-edge technology for brand storytelling, social engagement, CRM, and ecommerce – and now AI. The team behind Weber Ranch Vodka previously created and led Patrón Tequila, a company that also had a proven history of harnessing the latest tech innovation for consumer engagement and marketing – from Oculus to augmented reality to Amazon Alexa, when those technologies were first introduced years ago. 'We're setting new standards for how brands engage with consumers, recognizing that innovation in our industry must extend well beyond the bottle to truly be meaningful,' says Applbaum. About Weber Ranch 1902 VodkaWhile most vodka is made from wheat, corn, or potato, Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka is distilled from 100% Blue Weber Agave to create an extraordinarily unique and clean taste profile full of bright citrus notes from the agave, and a velvety smooth mouthfeel not found in any other vodka. This incredibly unique spirit begins its journey in Jalisco, Mexico, where the agave is hand-harvested and distilled before being transported to the Weber Ranch Distillery in Muenster, Texas, where it is further distilled in proprietary copper pot and column stills, filtered, and bottled in an eye-catching and distinctive package. It is this second distillation and filtration in Texas, as well as the addition of water from the local Trinity Aquifer, that creates its unique character. Because Weber Ranch Vodka is exclusively crafted from agave, it is naturally 100% gluten, carb, and additive free from garden to glass. Weber Ranch Vodka was created by Round 2 Spirits, founded by the team who previously created and built Patrón Tequila into an iconic global brand. For more information, please visit
