Move Over, Margaritas

Across Mexico, a thirst for novelty is driving a distilling renaissance.

- Ryan Craggs

Cardenxe cofounders Luigi Ambrosi and Nitzan Podoswa.

SCAN THE SHELVES at your local bottle shop or Mexican restaurant, and you're sure to see plenty of tequila brands with celebrity bona fides: Casamigos was cofounded by George Clooney, Teremana is the label from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, and 818 got its name from Kendall Jenner's area code. Big names like these have flooded the market over the past decade, reflecting tequila's position as one of the biggest success stories in the liquor business. More than 32 million cases of agave spirits were sold in the U.S. in 2024, with sales totaling $6.7 billion, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. While year-over-year growth was only 2 percent, the figure was among the bright spots in the categories tracked by the organization: scotch sales were down about 15 percent last year, and gin was down more than 7 percent.