U.S. tequila consumption 2021, by state
Tequila industry
Tequila, an agave-based distilled spirit from Mexico, is one of the most widely consumed alcoholic beverages in the United States. The term tequila, which originated from the Nahuatl (Aztec) language, roughly translates to "the place where plants are harvested." In 1974, the government of Mexico declared the term as its intellectual property. Hence, this spirit is exclusively produced in the state of Jalisco and in a few municipalities in Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. Agave-based distilled spirits produced in other regions are called mezcal. Mexico shares a border with California and Texas, which accounts for these federal states' sizeable tequila consumption.
Patrón, Don Julio and Hornitos were the leading global tequila brands in 2020. In the United States, Jose Cuervo proved to be the country's most popular tequila brand, selling 4.68 million 9-liter cases, accounting for approximately 22 percent of the total volume sales of tequila in the U.S. in 2020. In contrast, El Jimador sold only 732,000 cases. Americans consumed more than 21.54 million cases of tequila that year.
Nationwide retail sales of tequila exceeded 9 billion U.S. dollars, while wholesalers and suppliers raked in around 4.7 billion and 4 billion U.S. dollars respectively.