Tequila is on the tips of everyone’s tongue these days. Literally. While other popular categories of spirit have been sputtering in the post-Pandemic era, the legendary liquid of Mexico continues to buck the trend. In 2025, it was the only liquor style to observe growth—accumulating some 2.9% in value—and soaring above $6 billion in annual sales.
Leading the charge is a rapidly growing interest in cristalino as well as reposado labels along with the continued movement to premiumization…We’re talking expressions that sell for $25 and more a bottle. According to the latest data from the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of America, reposado alone has recorded a 12.5% increase over the last 12 months.
This unprecedented interest in agave spirit is expanding well beyond tequila, too. By now, even the most casual of drinkers have heard of mezcal. Indeed, it is the second biggest distilled export out of Mexico; one that continues to fan out onto drink menus across the nation at breakneck speed.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a venue with next to no attachment to spirits from this part of the world, it has become obligatory to have at least one mezcal preparation in addition to a flagship tequila offering. Take the COA Bar inside the Dorado Beach Ritz-Carlton Reserve, for example. This is on a stunning beach in Puerto Rico, aka Rum Country. And yet the very first signature cocktail listed on the menu is Legacy of Conservation—a drink made with mezcal and Mexican chili liqueur.
At the Limelight Aspen; high in the Colorado Rockies, it’s a similar story: Après-ski crowds are all clamoring for the Mezcal Negroni, one of the property’s most enduringly popular preparations.
So, where do we go from here? More magic from Mexico, of course. Most American drinkers are only scratching the surface of what our neighbors to the south have in store.
Sotol, raicilla, bacanora, charanda, tepache—are you familiar with any of these names? You sure better be. Because they’re headed to a bar near you and are already making a massive splash amongst adventurous early-adopting US imbibers.
The International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR) was already calling sotol the next mezcal as early as 2023. Distilled from the Dasylirion plant, also known as the “desert spoon,” it’s not actually agave-based at all. But it has a similar earthy profile, has attracted celebrity endorsement no less prominent than Lenny Kravitz, and is projected to observe a compounded annual growth rate of 6% between 2022 and the end of next year.
Raicilla is more closely related to tequila, but holds its own lore in the high mountains of southwestern Jalisco, where it has been distilled for over 300 years. The agave used in its production often results in a rugged, expressive liquid that is gaining interest from experienced palates who might otherwise steer towards smoky Islay scotches or funky, high-ester Jamaican rums. Over a dozen worthwhile offerings are now included in the inventory over at The Cabinet, the preeminent destination for mezcal and tequila in Lower Manhattan.
As for bacanora, it comes from the Mexican state of Sonora, where it was illegal to distill until 1992. But it has quickly risen from bootleg swill to top shelf bottling. In its highest form, it holds a savory minty-ness, to enhance the earthy agave elements at its core. These sorts of complexities form the base of some fun and flavorful cocktails. At Mirate in Los Angeles, for example, award-winning bar director Max Reis is using it along with fresh papaya and a Mexican anise liqueur in his El Yaki. Challenging yet refreshing, it’s an unforgettable serve.
Mirate’s expansive backbar also holds a broader selection of Mexican rums—including charanda—than anywhere else in the country. In increasing numbers, patrons are beginning to come into this celebrated agave bar asking instead for flights of sugarcane spirit. Back in New York at Sip & Guzzle, some folks like to get away on a more session-able Mexican holiday. The Tepache Mule, made with the country’s eponymous fermented pineapple drink, has become an instant hit. Bartenders are fixing up nearly as many of those as they are the Spicy Paloma, which sits directly below it on the menu. Despite the fact that the Paloma remains the most popular tequila cocktail in all of Mexico.
All this is to say, the tequila boom is merely the tip of the penca. Despite owning centuries of history in their respective regions, the most sensational sips from Mexico are only now beginning to make their mark north of the border. So keep your eyes open and your glasses held high, in 2026, there’s more to savor than ever before.
