Tequila is on quite a roll right now. One that still seems to catch many casual drinkers by surprise. They still associate Mexico’s favorite spirit with face-squinching shots and tales of catching a worm in your teeth. Well, let me tell you, those days are long gone. Nowadays, there is a whole universe of high-quality agave-based spirits that are fantastic to sip and effortlessly blend into cocktails. There is no better time to dive into the ever-expanding world of tequila.
It shouldn’t be a surprise that a boom in high-quality tequilas has suddenly surfaced. Much like bourbon, a spirit misunderstood for decades, tequila has a long lineage of producers producing excellent liquid for centuries. While most of the world was distracted by margaritas and other blended concoctions that drove sales of basic tequilas, the true tequila maestros of Mexico were experimenting and refining their liquids.
When, finally, in the early 2010s, American bartenders discovered this hidden treasure trove of fantastic bottles just south of the border, today’s modern tequila boom started. According to Statistica, in 2022, sales of the spirit hit an all-time high in the United States, its biggest market, at 30 million cases. That’s a lot of bottles for consumers to sort through to find the best of the best.
