Today we’d like to introduce you to Quentin Cantu.
Hi Quentin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Ranch Rider Spirits is the only ready-to-drink brand conceived of in the back of a food truck by two university students- myself and Brian Murphy. We met during the hard seltzer craze and realized that we, like a lot of others, came to have “malt fatigue” as it pertained to canned alcoholic beverages. Beverages like Whiteclaw and Truly, aren’t made with real spirits, and don’t have any clean ingredients. We decided to change this when we launched Ranch Rider in Texas in 2020, becoming the first ranch water on the market and one of the only brands to feature premium Reposado Tequila in a canned cocktail format. Fast forward to today, and every single one of our products speaks to our commitment to better-for-you alcohol, as we remain the cleanest canned cocktail on the market with no added sugar, no preservatives, and no additives whatsoever. Check out some other stats about Ranch Rider Spirits:
+ Ranch Rider is the cleanest spirit-based RTD on the market: each can contain just tequila or vodka, fresh-squeezed juice, sparkling water, and never any added sugar, preservatives, or additives
+ Ranch Rider is the only RTD on the market that voluntarily discloses ALL of its ingredients, caloric content, and nutritional info
+ Ranch Rider is the second fastest mover in the category at Whole Foods Market
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
We don’t use anything “fake” to preserve our product, and this resulted in a massive learning curve in 2021. Because we use completely all-natural ingredients, we had some quality issues last year that forced us to figure out how to optimize shelf stability without compromising our core value of all-natural. Palomas were exploding 20 feet in the air and cans were leaking everywhere. These challenges don’t happen to bigger RTD brands because they use things you’ve never heard of, that you would never want to put in your body otherwise, in order to make the liquid shelf stable for years and years. We assembled a talented team and did in-depth research in order to figure out how to extend shelf life without adding an alphabet soup of preservatives and additives.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
To date, I’ve worn numerous hats, like most founders in any startup. I’ve mostly focused on the Operations side, which means procuring raw materials from preferred vendors (like our tequila), ensuring product quality & optimal production SOPs, and product innovation. I’m most proud of the months of hard work it took in 2021 to make our all-natural significantly more shelf stable.
What are you most excited for on the horizon?
We’ve built an amazing community of customers who love our brand. Recently, a law passed that allows people in this community to own an actual piece of Ranch Rider. (In the past it has just been high-net worth individuals or institutions who could invest in private companies.) We are just kicking off our community campaign and can’t wait to have our actual customers become our owners! Here’s a link to the campaign.
Pricing:
- Our typical price at retail is $12.99 for a 4-pack
Contact Info:
- Website: www.
ranchriderspirits.com - Investment Campaign: www.wefunder.com/
ranchrider - Instagram: https://www.
instagram.com/ ranchriderspirits/ - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ranchriderspirits
