Weber Ranch introduces AI-powered mixology tool
Texan brand Weber Ranch 1902 Vodka has launched a virtual bartender service powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to help customers make cocktails at home.
Named ‘Tex’, the service is said to combine professional mixology expertise with the intellect of AI.
It features an icon of a Texan bartender tipping his cowboy hat and delivers advice on how to make cocktails paired with Weber Ranch’s vodka at home through SMS text or online chat, all powered by OpenAI technology.
The brand’s co-owner, president and COO Lee Applbaum, explained: “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 personalised tool that deepens customer engagement in a way that is helpful, informative, and fun.
“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.”
Built for real world purpose
More than 70% of Tex’s logic is powered by ChatGPT, and with the tool’s development constantly evolving through engagement, answers and reasoning will improve over time as more people engage with the service.
Tex can immediately suggest a cocktail recipe after receiving an image of the user’s fridge or pantry, using the ingredients within.
It can also direct users to a bar or retail store, answer questions in relation to batching recipes, plan cocktail menus for special occasions, personalise cocktail recipe names, find alternative ingredients and, as the brand notes, do ‘virtually anything else’ that someone might want to ask about bartending, cocktails or brand and category information.
The service is not scripted, so phrasing for answers will never be the same.
To use the service, customers can text #AskTex to 1-940-400-1902. It is also available on the Weber Ranch Vodka website.
Weber Ranch partnered with Cyphr – a New York and London-based digital-first experience and venture studio – to develop Tex.
The company’s co-founder and experience director James Penfold said: “Most bots just talk. Ours thinks. Tex isn’t just answering questions, he’s learning what you like and adapting. The more you interact, the more personalised your experience becomes – just like talking to your favourite bartender who remembers your favourite drink.”
Weber Ranch is produced by Round 2 Spirits and launched in May last year. It was The Spirits Business‘ third most innovative spirits launch of 2024.
Round 2 Spirits was co-founded by Ed Brown, Dave Wilson, John Paul DeJoria and Applbaum, all former Patrón Tequila executives, as well as Brad Vassar, with the aim of identifying ‘innovative products that aren’t being addressed by today’s brands’.
As such, Weber Ranch vodka is crafted from Mexican Blue Weber agave.
Applbaum added: “We’re setting new standards for how brands engage with consumers, recognising that innovation in our industry must extend well beyond the bottle to truly be meaningful.”
At The Spirits Business Hub, held during ProWein 2025, a panel explored how AI-driven software is being used to create personalised experiences in the alcoholic beverage space.
