Spicy margaritas, Palomas, celebrity-backed bottles and premium pours – tequila has overtaken gin to emerge as this summer’s defining spirit.
Every year, the second the mercury rises, the race to crown the drink of the summer begins. Last year belonged to the natural wine craze; the year before, the Hugo Spritz; and before that, the meme-fueled Negroni Sbagliato (that is, according to the Elite Traveler team). This summer, however, the UK appears to have made up its mind before any of us could even start pouring.
Paloma, picante or a simple tequila-lime soda: however you take it, the UK has declared agave the spirit of the season. According to consumer data reported in The Guardian, tequila has eclipsed gin as the UK’s bestselling spirit.
And it’s not just Brits developing a taste for tequila. Across North America, tequila and mezcal overtook whiskey as the second spirit of choice in 2023, trailing behind vodka, while also ranking among the year’s fastest-growing categories, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis obtained by The Spirits Business.
So what, exactly, has pushed tequila to top billing on the bar shelf? “Cocktails, simply,” says Alex Martin, editor-in-chief of The World of Fine Spirits. “That’s all down to the margarita.” A drink once relegated to sticky happy hours and sore heads has had an indisputable reputation overhaul.
Martin tells me this has been aided by bartenders who appreciate its simplicity and drinkers who understand exactly what they’re ordering. “And we shouldn’t forget the Paloma,” Martin adds, “which was nowhere to be seen a few years ago, but is now widely recognized and available.”
Giannis Apostolopoulos, head of bars at Amazonico London, proves his point. “While the rise of the margarita, particularly the spicy margarita, has helped reintroduce the spirit to a new audience, the more telling shift is towards simplicity,” he says. That’s reflected on menus too, and not just at Amazonico but across London, where tequila lengthened with soda has quietly edged out the once-untouchable gin and tonic.
Martin argues gin may have overcomplicated itself. “The beauty of the G&T was its simplicity – two ingredients and delicious,” he says. “Now the consumer has to decide which gin and which tonic they want before they can get a drink.” When pushing through a crowded bar, that can make ordering a drink feel like conducting a research project. By contrast, everyone understands a margarita. No tasting notes required.
Then there is the celebrity factor, impossible to ignore and, frankly, difficult to sneer at when it works this well. “It’s easy to turn your nose up at celebrity brands,” Martin says, “but they are hugely influential.” 818 Tequila, backed by Kendall Jenner, and Casamigos, founded by George Clooney, have helped entice curious drinkers to try the spirit. “They draw new people into the category, and a good portion of them stick around and start exploring.”
Once associated with ill-advised shots, salt packets, and lime wedges (not forgetting the subsequent blurry evenings that follow), tequila has been recast as something to sip, savor, and discuss. Premium expressions, additive-free producers, and heritage distilleries have all helped move the conversation, but, of course, every boom invites the inevitable question: can it last?
Martin thinks it can, but only if brands resist getting carried away. “If tequila brands try to take advantage of their popularity through premiumization and aggressive expansion, consumers will switch off,” he warns. Quality and value, not hype, will determine whether agave keeps its crown.
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