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<\/div>\nEvery 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 Travele<\/em>r team). This summer, however, the UK appears to have made up its mind before any of us could even start pouring.<\/p>\n 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<\/em><\/a>, tequila has eclipsed gin as the UK\u2019s bestselling spirit.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s 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\u2019s fastest-growing categories, according to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis<\/a> obtained by The Spirits Business<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n So what, exactly, has pushed tequila to top billing on the bar shelf? \u201cCocktails, simply,\u201d says Alex Martin, editor-in-chief of The World of Fine Spirits<\/a><\/em>. \u201cThat\u2019s all down to the margarita.\u201d A drink once relegated to sticky happy hours and sore heads has had an indisputable reputation overhaul.\u00a0<\/p>\n Martin tells me this has been aided by bartenders who appreciate its simplicity and drinkers who understand exactly what they\u2019re ordering. \u201cAnd we shouldn\u2019t forget the Paloma,\u201d Martin adds, \u201cwhich was nowhere to be seen a few years ago, but is now widely recognized and available.\u201d<\/p>\n Giannis Apostolopoulos, head of bars at Amazonico London, proves his point. \u201cWhile 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,\u201d he says. That\u2019s reflected on menus too, and not just at Amazonico but across London<\/a>, where tequila lengthened with soda has quietly edged out the once-untouchable gin and tonic.<\/p>\n Martin argues gin may have overcomplicated itself. \u201cThe beauty of the G&T was its simplicity\u00a0 \u2013 two ingredients and delicious,\u201d he says. \u201cNow the consumer has to decide which gin and which tonic they want before they can get a drink.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/elitetraveler.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/04\/copyof20260211-img_9999-1707x2560.jpg\")
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