We’re witnessing a major upheaval in the world of spirits: People are turning away from vodka and raising a glass of tequila. In 2021, sales of tequila and mezcal shot up more than 30% in the United States. This made agave-based spirits the second-fastest growing category, behind pre-mixed cocktails.
Measured by revenue, agave spirits are selling more than any other liquor category except for vodka, which has reigned supreme in the U.S. since the 1970s. In fact, tequila was the main driver of growth for the entire spirits industry, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) reports.
It seems like everyone is drinking tequila, according to Diageo CEO Ivan Menezes, whose company owns Don Julio and Casamigos: “It has crossed over. The multicultural growth is very strong. It cuts across age segments, it cuts across gender, it cuts across dayparts, the occasion and the nature of drinks. It’s not just shots and margaritas as it used to be many years ago.”
What’s Behind Tequila’s Rise in Popularity?
You could blame George Clooney. He and business partner Rande Gerber founded Casamigos tequila and mezcal in 2013, then sold the brand for a staggering $1 billion four years later.
After that, the tequila gold rush was on. The list of celebrities that have recently lent their name to tequila brands includes:
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — Teremana Tequila
- Kendall Jenner — 818 Tequila
- LeBron James — Lobos 1707 Tequila and Mezcal
- Nick Jonas — Villa One
- Rita Ora — Próspero
Star power accounts for part of the allure — and so does wellness culture. There’s a widespread belief that tequila is “clean” and good for you. So… is it? It’s true that tequila is low-sugar and low-calorie, and that certain compounds in agave have demonstrated health benefits. But to date, no human studies have shown health benefits of drinking tequila.
And Why Is Everyone Drinking Mezcal?
According to legend, mezcal was created when a bolt of lightning struck an agave plant, roasting its heart and releasing a magical liquid. The traditional method of making it involves slowly cooking the heart of the agave plant over smoldering wood in a pit oven, resulting in an unmistakable smoky flavor. After three days, the hearts (piñas) are mashed, soaked in water and fermented in barrels. The liquid is distilled and bottled fresh (joven) or aged in wooden barrels (reposado or añejo).
Like tequila, mezcal exhibits terroir. That is, it tastes strongly of the place where the agave is grown and of the process by which it’s made and aged. That taps into customers’ deep desire to taste something unique and special — not a mass-produced, often flavorless product like vodka.
Will both agave spirits continue to surge in popularity? And will they move beyond audiences in the U.S. and Mexico to captivate drinkers in the rest of the world? Time will tell.
Tips for Adding Mezcal and Tequila to Your Cocktail Program
Respect their origins. Already, the backlash has begun against celebrity-endorsed, faux-authentic agave spirits. “You cannot buy tradition, and that’s what people who are getting into the mezcal business today are trying to do,” Bricia Lopez, a Oaxaca native and owner of Los Angeles restaurant Guelaguetza, told The New York Times. For the many mezcals she stocks at her bar, Lopez has certain rules: the company must be woman-owned and/or Mexican-owned, or include the producer in its ownership structure.
Seek out sustainable brands. The tequila-mezcal boom has come at great cost to the environment. The problems include harvesting of wild agave; pollution by binasa, the acidic byproduct of distillation; and deforestation to obtain firewood. Fortunately, there are many brands that not only practice sustainable production techniques, but also reinvest in their communities. One example is La Alteña, maker of El Tesoro, which allows some of its agave to flower in order to feed endangered migrating bats.
Serve lesser-known spirits. To feed customers’ hunger for novelty, you could offer other traditional Mexican spirits. These include sotol, which is distilled from a fermented desert shrub; raicilla, which has distinct mountain or coastal terroir and is made from a variety of agaves; and bacanora, a Sonoran spirit that’s the “missing link between tequila and mezcal.”
Consider stocking some ultra-high-end bottles. Ámbar, in the Plaza Hotel in El Paso, has the only bottle of Lalique Patron in all of Texas. Will many patrons come in and ask for a $1,750 shot? Probably not. Will they come in, drawn by the cachet of the agave collection, and pay $50 for a tequila flight? You bet.
From the high-powered Eclipse® Blender to the margarita-mastering Rio® Drink Blender, Hamilton Beach Commercial blenders helps you make better cocktails faster. See the full line of commercial kitchen equipment for bars and cafés.
