Twenty years ago, tequila was considered the basest of spirits, relegated to dives and college bars. Most of what you'd see were mixtos, cheap versions made of 51 per cent agave and 49 per cent corn or sugar syrup, resulting in the type of low-quality swill that demanded not only a chaser but also a sort of pre-chaser. You may recall the ritual: lick a pile of pure salt, choke down the shot, then bite into a lime wedge as your throat burns, your eyes water and the regrets begin.
Today's tequila landscape is unrecognisable. The growth has been profound. Tequila consumption in the US has roughly doubled in the past seven years, recently overtaking whisky and set to pass vodka. What's more, the majority of the ascent has left mixtos behind. In 2022, for the first time ever, seven of every 10 bottles of tequila consumed in the US were 100 per cent agave. Tequila is so popular, agave distillates have begun to pop up all over the world, including in South Africa, India, Australia, Peru and New Zealand—where there's a distillery
