THREE DIFFERENT TYPES There are three primary classifications of tequila— blanco, reposado, anejo. Each category is largely determined by the aging and distilling process.
TOP TEQUILA- CONSUMING STATES
Texas represents a 12% share of tequila consumption within the U.S. That figure is eclipsed only by California, which has a 21% share. The following data shows the top five tequila- consuming states by case in 2020.
1 California: 4.4 million cases
BLANCO
5
Bottled immediately or aged up to two months Never aged in a barrel
Contains no added flavoring agents
2 Texas: 2.6 million cases
1
4
3 Florida: 1.2 million cases
Good for mixing in lighter cocktails such as margaritas
4 Illinois: 791,000 cases
2
3
5 New York: 763,000 cases
REPOSADO
SOURCES: PAQUI TEQUILA, TOTAL WINE/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
Aged in oak barrel for two to 12 months, resulting in a pale, golden color Good for more complex cocktails Aged one to three years in oak barrel, darker color
Flavors include honey and caramel
Flavor profiles may include vanilla, cinnamon or dried chocolate
In Texas, the rate of consumption of tequila has nearly doubled from 2010-20. The following data shows how much tequila was consumed annually per 1,000 cases. 2010 INCREASED CONSUMPTION
ANEJO
Smoother tasting than a blanco
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Good for sipping neat in a glass
+88.34%
Adds sugary and caramelized notes
The owners of Dos Cuernos tequila hold regular tastings at various Central Texas liquor stores. COURTESY DOS CUERNOS
SOURCES: PAQUI TEQUILA, TOTAL WINE/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
CONTINUED FROM 1 A growing thirst for tequila
they began distributing. He said a combination of efforts including heavy social media marketing on Facebook and Instagram has helped Dos Cuernos with its early success. “I do know that in our first year, whenwe launched in 2020 and our bottles arrived in February of that year, toward the end of the year we were sold out,” Palacios said. Local distribution Though Barber officially launched Verdadero Tequila in July 2021, he said he had been working on creating the brand since 2017. It has been difficult to break into the local market, but he cited his years of manufacturing experience and other business train- ing as a major help. “I’mnot in the Spec’s of the world or Twin Liquors yet,” he said. “I’m just focusing on independent [liquor stores] to build a footprint.” Gallegos and his team have also been building their company since starting right before the COVID- 19 pandemic. “Tequila just kind of made sense to us,” Gallegos said. “I formed the company at maybe 4 o’clock in the morning after tossing and turning, thinking about it.” After a launch party at Pflugerville Mexican restaurant El Rincon in March 2020, Dos Cuernos was in its first liquor store in the Wells Branch neigh- borhood of North Austin, Gallegos said.
Pflugerville resident Christian Rodriguez said over the last several years he has noticed a definitive shift in how people consume tequila. Rodriguez is a bartender at El Taquito Urbano in Pflugerville, and he said he has watched customers go from shooting tequila to more recently develop- ing greater curiosity about its nuances. “They want to know what we have, what kind, where it’s from,” he said. “It’s kind of interesting to see, because the way I grew up, it was like, shoot it.” Figures from the Beverage Information Group, a collection of national publications that reports on the alcohol industry, show the rate of consumption of tequila throughout Texas has grown more than 88% from 2010-20. Similarly, data on U.S. consumption projects the market footprint for tequila will grow more than 127% from 2020-28. Gallegos and the team at Dos Cuernos said they could not provide sales figures for their company— the company prefers to keep those figures close to the vest—but Barber said his sales have grown steadily, about 80% per month, since Verdadero launched last July. As of mid-February, Barber said Verdadero is sell- ing in more than 60 retail locations and several bars and restaurants throughout Central Texas. Palacios said sales have been accelerating since
CASES OF TEQUILA CONSUMED IN TEXAS (IN THOUSANDS) A GROWING MARKET Starting from 2020, data shows sales figures for the tequila industry in the U.S. are projected to more than double by 2028. The following data shows the national tequila market projected in millions of dollars.
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028
+127.08%
PROJECTED U.S. SALES FOR TEQUILA (IN MILLIONS)
SOURCE: BEVERAGE INFORMATION GROUP/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
28
COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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