VinePair // May 03, 2023
Americans are having a torrid love affair with tequila. The agave spirit, two-thirds of which is consumed in the U.S. market, has been climbing in popularity for years. In 2022, tequila overtook sales of American whiskey — yes, that includes booming bourbon — by value, according to the IWSR. Currently, the category sits in second place, but it’s got No. 1 vodka in the crosshairs, too, with the IWSR predicting that tequila will assume the top spot within two years.
Such resounding success doesn’t come without complications, though, and tequila currently finds itself at something of a crossroads. On one axis are the powerful commercial and celebrity forces that are pouring resources into the category, hoping to claim a portion of its popularity, and the broad base of casual consumers who are responding to them. On the other are smaller-scale producers, most of whom are committed to making more traditional styles of tequila, and highly engaged consumers eager to taste and buy such products. The category is now starting to navigate a coexistence of these forces, which are sometimes, seemingly, in opposition. How it’s all going to shake out — and what tequila, in general, is going to taste like a few years from now — is anybody’s guess.
One thing is for sure: This is a defining moment for tequila.