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2024’s Drink of Summer Is the 4-Ingredient Lone Ranger Cocktail

2024’s Drink of Summer Is the 4-Ingredient Lone Ranger Cocktail
Prep Time:
5 mins
Total Time:
5 mins
Servings:
1
Yield:
1 drink

Ah, summer. The season of long weekends, patio gatherings, and relishing in the sunnier, slower pace of life. It’s also a season that ushers in many occasions to gather and raise a glass. We’re firm believers that rosé wine will always be in style come summer, but on the cocktail side, it can be a bit more challenging to narrow down the options.

Our recent "drink of summer" selections have included the Espresso Martini, Dirty Shirley, and Hugo Spritz. We’ve yet to tire of any of those, especially our pal Hugo, however, we’re always in the mood to mix things up. 

So to help us pinpoint what might just be 2024’s drink of summer, we polled 23 beverage experts from coast to coast, who have a pulse on the scene from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina and Nashville Tennessee to Greenough, Montana. “Light and fresh” was a common theme, as were lower-proof options. Still feedback like “we’re gonna see a lot more non-margarita tequila cocktails” and “tequila is more popular than it has ever been” had us thinking slightly outside of the spritz space.

When we saw the Lone Ranger having a bit of a moment on TikTok in late March, we knew we had unmasked the ultimate mixed drink of summer.

  • Darrick Bourgeois, lead bartender at Pelato and Luogo in Nashville, Tennessee
  • John deBary, a New York City-based drinks writer, hospitality consultant, and the author of Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails
  • Wayne Gravesande, assistant general manager at Ketchy Shuby in New York City

Why The Lone Ranger is Trending

“The Lone Ranger is a drink with an intriguing mix of flavors that pays homage to the iconic character—something with a bold, adventurous twist,” explains Wayne Gravesande, assistant general manager at Ketchy Shuby in New York City.

It’s remarkably quick and easy to make, and only asks for four ingredients: tequila, sparkling wine, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

When we asked John deBary, a New York City-based drinks writer, hospitality consultant, and the author of Drink What You Want: The Subjective Guide to Making Objectively Delicious Cocktails, what the Lone Ranger reminded him of, he explained that it’s like a mash-up of Ranch Water (tequila and club soda), a spritz, and a French 75 (which contains all of the same ingredients, just with gin instead of tequila).

“The Lone Ranger was invented by a bartender in Portland, Oregon, Jeff Morgenthaler. If I remember correctly, he made it as a riff on a French 75, replacing the gin with tequila and Champagne with sparkling rosé,” clarifies Darrick Bourgeois, lead bartender at Pelato and Luogo in Nashville, Tennessee.

The name gives a nod to the Lone Ranger, a fictionalized masked Texas ranger. Gravesande believes that Morgenthaler’s tightly-curated collection of Lone Ranger ingredients “evoke the spirit of the American West.”

“This has all the flavors and feelings of summer,” Bourgeois continues. “The citrus balances out the agave flavor of the tequila, and it also has sweetness to balance out the acid in the lemon juice. Topping it off with a sparkling rosé is one of my favorite parts of this cocktail. You can’t go wrong with rosé in the summer!”

With Aperol Spritzes and Hugo Spritzes making waves, “the past few summers have been the summer of bubbles, and this trend doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere for summer 2024,” Bourgeois says.

“The Lone Ranger is a timeless classic that keeps delighting, whether you’re in the mood for something more traditional or more unique,” Gravensande says.

Lone Ranger Cocktail Ingredients

As we hinted to earlier, you’ll only need 4 ingredients—as well as a cocktail shaker and a glass—to make a Lone Ranger.

  • Tequila: Blanco tequila, also known as silver, “makes perfect sense in this drink,” deBary says. “It fits well with the vibrant, refreshing vibe of the drink. It has a refreshing, vegetal brightness.” Barrel-aged tequilas like añejo or reposado tequila often feel a bit too heavy for summer, he adds, and could overpower the delicate citrus flavor. If you like a hint of smokiness, consider mezcal, Gravensande says.
  • Lemon juice: Squeeze the citrus yourself for the best flavor (rather than turning to the lemon juice products sold in supermarkets, which often taste less punchy and more bitter). Only have a lime? That should work just fine.
  • Simple syrup: This will lightly sweeten the cocktail. We're including a recipe for our Test Kitchen's preferred rich simple syrup below. It's a higher ratio of sugar to water than some other recipes, but provides the ideal balance of sweetness.
  • Sparkling wine: A dry rosé Prosecco is what Gravensande and Bourgeois prefer to add effervescence without being too sweet or overpowering. “I find the bubbles and flavor to be a little more delicate than a Champagne. Dry Prosecco is the perfect selection when supporting a spirit in a cocktail,” Bourgeois believes. No need to invest in anything too pricey, deBary adds. Something in the $15 to $30 per bottle range should serve you well here.

How to Make Rich Simple Syrup

Here's how to make the rich simple syrup we prefer for this cocktail. In a small saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar. Chill until ready to use. Makes 3/4 cup.

Ingredients

  • Ice cubes

  • 1 1/2 fluid ounces blanco silver tequila

  • 1 fluid ounce lemon juice

  • 1/2 fluid ounce Rich Simple Syrup (see how to make, above)

  • 2 fluid ounces sparkling rose prosecco wine, chilled

  • Lemon twist

Directions

  1. In an ice-filled cocktail shaker, combine tequila, lemon juice, and Rich Simple Syrup. Cover and shake until very cold. Strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with rosé. Garnish with a lemon twist.

How to Make a Big-Batch Lone Ranger Cocktail

  1. In a pitcher, combine 2 1/4 cups silver tequila, 1 1/2 cups lemon juice, and one recipe Rich Simple Syrup. Chill until ready to serve. Add 1 750-ml bottle chilled sparkling rosé wine before serving. Serve in ice-filled glasses. Garnish with lemon twists. Makes 12 servings.

Lone Ranger Cocktail Variations

After you’ve mastered the classic Lone Ranger, consider mixing things up with one of these expert-recommended riffs:

  • For a tropical twist, instead of lemon juice, try pineapple juice.
  • For beachy vibes, in place of the tequila, try pisco, rum, or cachaca. 
  • For a spirit-free Lone Ranger, use strawberry club soda as a sparkling wine swap and use a nonalcoholic spirit instead of tequila. (Our friends and Food & Wine swear by Ritual Zero Proof Tequila Alternative for mixed drinks.)

Credits

Special thanks to our drink pros from across the U.S. who contributed to the research for this story: Alex Dominguez, head bartender at Bar Calico; Brittany Belfiore, head bartender at Center Bar; Bryan Schneider, creative director of Quality Branded restaurants (including brands like Don Angie, Zou Zou’s, Bad Roman, and Smith & Wollensky); Caitlin Burke, beverage director at Maman; Claire Marin, owner and master distiller at Catskill Provisions and Pollinator Spirits; Cody Pruitt, founder and beverage director of Libertine; Evan Hawkins, co-founder and beverage director Romeo's; Geraldo Pino, general manager at LittleMad; Jake Satterlee, beverage manager at The Resort at Paws Up; Jarett Karlsberg, beverage director at Wythe Hotel’s Bar Blondeau and Le Crocodile; Joe and MariElena Raya, owners of Bittermilk Bottling Co.; Kevin Denton Rex, head of mixology and education at Pernod Ricard; Mariel Burns, beverage consultant at Adrienne's NYC; Mark Stone, partner at KNIFE Italian; Mia Carlson, director of restaurants for Plough and The Exchange at Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square; Renato Tonelli, beverage training director at Dante; Shawn Miller, director of beverage at Forsythia; Stephanie Ridgway, director of brand education at Charles Jacquin et Cie, Inc.; Trevor Nare, beverage manager and certified sommelier at Hotel West & Main.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

178 Calories
0g Fat
11g Carbs
0g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 1
Calories 177.9
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 12.2mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 10.8g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0.4g 2%
Total Sugars 9.3g
Protein 0.4g 1%
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Vitamin C 6.9mg 8%
Calcium 12.8mg 1%
Iron 0.2mg 1%
Potassium 73.2mg 2%
Fatty acids, total trans 0g
Vitamin D 0IU
Alanine 0g
Arginine 0g
Ash 0.2g
Aspartic acid 0g
Caffeine 0mg
Carotene, alpha 0mcg
Choline, total 1.7mg
Copper, Cu 0mg
Cystine 0g
Energy 745kJ
Fluoride, F 21mcg
Folate, total 3.6mcg
Glutamic acid 0g
Glycine 0g
Histidine 0g
Isoleucine 0g
Leucine 0g
Lysine 0g
Methionine 0g
Magnesium, Mg 8.9mg
Manganese, Mn 0.1mg
Niacin 0.1mg
Phosphorus, P 15.6mg
Pantothenic acid 0.1mg
Phenylalanine 0g
Phytosterols 0.7mg
Proline 0g
Retinol 0mcg
Selenium, Se 0.2mcg
Serine 0g
Theobromine 0mg
Threonine 0g
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.1mg
Tryptophan 0g
Tyrosine 0g
Valine 0g
Vitamin A, IU 11.1IU
Vitamin A, RAE 0.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 0mcg
Vitamin B-6 0mg
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0mcg
Water 146.3g
Zinc, Zn 0.1mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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