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BY KYLE SWARTZ

As store pick whiskeys explode in popularity, beverage alcohol retailers wonder what’ s the next category to take off. One potential answer: single barrel tequila picks.

The process with tequila is no different than with whiskey. An increasing number of Mexican distilleries let retailers select single barrels to bottle as store picks. While still a small trend, SiB tequilas have recently gained steam.

Why? For one, tequila sales grew dramatically during the Covid-19 crisis. The at-home mixology trend had consumers buying more agave spirits. And tequila was already on the rise before 2020, riding the pre-pandemic trends of craft and premiumization.

You can add a new trend that’ s benefitting the category. Consumers who have purchased and enjoyed bottles of single barrel store pick whiskeys want another flavor innovation to pursue. Tequila is an easy transition. With depth of flavors and vanilla notes, these spirits naturally appeal to whiskey fans.

“ A lot of whiskey drinkers are tequila drinkers, they just don’ t know it yet,” says T. J. Douglas, co-owner of The Urban Grape in Boston. This apt quote is from a profile six years ago. In the meantime, more whiskey drinkers have made that realization.

SINGLE BARREL TEQUILA PICKS Moreno’ s Liquors of Chicago( a Top 100 winner) is known for offering one of the largest mezcal and tequila selections in America. Currently, the store stocks five tequila single barrels.

“ The single barrel trend came up first with whiskey, and now it’ s blowing up with everything,” says Co-owner Mike Moreno.“ People are looking for uniqueness. They’ re looking for quality. They want to know that what they’ re getting is not a typical tequila.”

At Moreno’ s, that’ s a Corazon SiB tequila finished in Weller bourbon barrels. Or a recent pick with Gran Mayan, a three-yearold añejo finished for six months in sherry casks.

“ I think we’ re the only retailer to do something like that,” Moreno says.“ We even picked out the colors of our Gran Mayan bottle.”

Distinctive labels for single barrels are common with whiskey. Stores and clubs often place funny, colorful or irreverent stickers on bottles, increasing that product’ s uniqueness. So too has Moreno’ s improved the visibility of their Gran Mayan pick.

“ It’ s an orange clay bottle with a little bit of blue specks,” Moreno says.“ It’ s another way to differentiate it from the other

Single barrel tequila offerings at Moreno’ s Liquors in Chicago.

bottles on the shelf.”

With the Corazon finished in Weller, Moreno tapped into both the SiB and red-hot bourbon trends. Weller remains among the most-sought-after whiskeys in the world. However, Moreno was not satisfied with simply stocking a trendy product.

“ Most stores are receiving two to three samples when they request a sample nowadays. I requested more,” he recalls.“ After eight barrels, I chose one that was super unique. People are really getting something that’ s unique and hard to find.”

Overall, Moreno sees no slowdown in the consumer taste for tequila.“ Except for the agave shortage,” he cautions.“ There could be a hiccup, but I also don’ t see the progression of single barrel tequilas slowing down, either.”

“ There are still a lot of other tequila brands trying to get in on the single barrel trend,” he adds.“ They’ re just now working things out with the TTB. So there are a lot of brands still playing catch up.”

Many other retailers have just now entered into the SiB tequila space. Worldwide Wine & Spirits in Southington, CT, recently came out with their first store pick tequila— a reposado from el tesoro.

“ With the market getting so hot for whiskey and bourbon single barrels, we thought,‘ Let’ s do a tequila’,” says Worldwide Manager Taylor Deegan.“ We wanted to do something outside of the box. I thought that we’ d add something brand new to the store.”

4 Beverage Dynamics • 2021 Top 100 Issue www. beveragedynamics. com