Tequila’s Top Players Driving Growth In The Year-To-Date

Last year, Tequila reached a new record-high in the U.S. market despite a deceleration, rising by 2.5% to 31.3 million cases, according to Impact Databank. This year, the category is up 3.7% by volume in control states through May, with a number of brands showing robust growth, led by Don Julio at the high end and Lunazul in the accessibly priced 100% agave segment.

According to Impact Databank, the Tequila category in the U.S. averaged 10.5% annual gains from 2019-2024, tacking on more than 12 million cases in incremental volume. And much of that growth occurred at the $25 and higher price level, with brands such as 1800, Don Julio, Casamigos, Espolòn, Teremana, Cazadores, and Gran Centenario all averaging double-digit annual increases the past five years.

“Premiumization and innovation continue to be key growth drivers across our entire portfolio and our business has doubled in the last five years because of these factors,” Lander Otegui, chief marketing officer at Proximo Spirits, recently told SND. Higher-end labels Gran Centenario and Gran Coramino were both in double-digit growth for Proximo last year. Otegui will be among the speakers at this fall’s 49th Annual Impact Seminar.

At the high end, Bacardi-owned Patrón is being backed with a “100% Additive-Free Tequila” campaign, aiming to tap the growing number of Tequila drinkers seeking out additive-free brands. Also from the Bacardi portfolio is Cazadores Tequila, which has been on a steep incline lately, with strong growth continuing into this year. At its current rate, Cazadores is likely to cross 1 million cases in the U.S. this year.

“With Patrón, we’re constantly sharing our message: a commitment to just three natural ingredients in every bottle—100% Blue Weber agave, yeast, and water—and continuing to pop up in key tentpole moments throughout the year,” said Roberto Ramirez Laverde, global senior vice president Patrón and Agaves at Bacardi Ltd. “This summer, Patrón is bringing its Hacienda Patrón experience to seven major music festivals around the country in partnership with Live Nation.”

At Heaven Hill, Lunazul has grown from 420,000 cases in 2020 to above 1.7 million cases in 2024. Last year, the brand received a new “Look to Luna” ad campaign positioning Lunazul at the “intersection of premium craftsmanship and casual enjoyment,” according to the company. Now ranked sixth in the category in volume terms, Lunazul is up 19% in control states through May.

Teremana, the brand founded by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and partners, is also continuing to climb in control states in the year-to-date, as is Campari-owned Espolòn. Teremana has added nearly 900,000 cases in U.S. volume since its 2020 debut, while Espolòn has more than doubled in size over the same time frame.

Meanwhile, Diageo’s Don Julio continues to surge in the above-$40 tier, with volume in control states jumping 42% in the first five months of this year. That comes on top of Don Julio’s nearly 2-million-case growth from 2020-2024, with annual depletions now above 3.3 million cases, according to Impact Databank. While the brand is growing “across the U.S. and across the globe,” Diageo recently told SND, California, Florida, Texas, and New York are Don Julio’s strongest U.S. markets.—Shane English

Tagged : 1800, Bacardi, Casamigos, Diageo, Don Julio, Heaven Hill, Jose Cuervo, Lunazul, Mast-Jägermeister, Patrón, Proximo, Teremana

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