booming , more brands , especially the larger ones , were forced to use younger agaves . That meant they had to use lots of additives to overcome underripe agaves and other flaws in the liquid .”

Additive free tequila and mezcal also ties into the “ healthier for you ” lifestyle currently transcending all food and beverage categories . So says Enrique Cobos , beverage director for the Chicago-based restaurant Moe ’ s Cantina , which has two locations in the city .

“ People appreciate that mezcal is made organically and artisanally ,” he says . “ That ’ s why I feel that additive free will be a strong trend . Personally , I find myself getting more and more into products that are additive free and made in smaller batches . More people will soon realize that additive free is the way to go .”

“ However , you can talk about the production process all day , but in the end , it all comes down to flavor ,” he adds . “ You don ’ t have to be an expert to appreciate something that tastes good .”

Elsewhere on Moe ’ s backbar , Cobos sees cristalino tequilas — anejos filtered until completely clear — staying strong .

“ More and more brands are stepping up with these products ,” he observes . “ I don ’ t think that ’ s going to stop .”

However , he points out that some consumers enjoy cristalinos because , “ more people don ’ t know that much about tequila . Filtering a product makes it easier to drink . Add in a fancy bottle , and people fall for it . It doesn ’ t mean that cristalino is for everyone , but the more traditionalist tequila and mezcal drinkers , the aficionados , they don ’ t like cristalino .”

“ Sometimes with cristalino , I think they ’ re trying to create a category that ’ s not there ,” he adds .

While Moe ’ s does sell a celebrity tequila flight ( George Clooney ' s Casamigos Blanco , Kendal Jenner ' s 818 Reposado and Kevin Hart ' s Gran Coramino Añejo for $ 50 ), Cobos offers a broad caveat for these kinds of brands .

“ Just because you can do it doesn ’ t mean it ’ s going to work ,” Cobos says .

“ There ’ s a point where people have had enough . They will ask for more quality for their money .”

Cobos believes that tequila bars will remain popular .

“ Tequila is great , because you can build a business around it ,” he says . “ In general , there ’ s not too much change going on in tequila . The category just doesn ’ t change that much . That ’ s why you have so many competing brands trying to come out with something new these days .”

However , “ it ’ s key not to have too many brands ,” on the backbar , he adds . “ You have to keep it honest . I recommend having 30 brands and training your staff so that they can really talk about all of them .”

If you do want more than 30 brands on your backbar , a wave of innovation within tequila means more product launches ahead .

“ Finishing tequila in barrels that other products have been aged in — such as port or even bourbon — continues to grow in popularity ,” says Poelma , of Southern Glazer ’ s . “ We think we ’ ll continue to see more innovation in this area from tequila brands in 2024 .”

“ We are also seeing tequila continue to grow on-premise , with cocktail options that stretch beyond the traditional Margarita ,” Poelma adds . “ Along with mixologists including tequila in more drink menu options , we are even starting to see accounts selling the Sparkling Margarita . Over the last couple of years , we ’ ve seen consumers become more interested in the different ways tequila can be used , and we don ’ t expect that to change in 2024 .”

AGAVE SHORTAGE OVER ?

Even before sustainable , natural , eco-conscious alcohol products became trendy , a common talking point in tequila was the risk of an agave shortage . After all , as the category experienced exponential growth , could farmers keep up with crops that take 7−10 years to reach maturity ?

Moreno thinks this tide has turned .

– ZACHARY POELMA ,

SOUTHERN GLAZER ' S WINE & SPIRITS SVP SUPPLIER STRATEGY & INSIGHTS

“ We went through a shortage not long ago , but right now , we ’ re on the up and up ,” he says . “ There was such a rush from the farmers to plant as much as possible . The agave market is similar to Wall Street : there ’ s ups and downs , but it levels out . I ’ m very confident to say that we ’ re approaching a surplus now .”

“ We should start seeing more of our favorite brands soon ,” he adds . “ If anything , the glass shortage is more concerning for tequila . They ’ re still having issues with that down in Mexico .

Agreeing with Moreno is Poelma of Southern Glazer ’ s . “ While tequila has grown significantly in popularity , we are not concerned about agave shortages at this time ,” he says . “ The price of agave has fallen by more than 50 % from the high during the pandemic . And as demand has slowed from the high double-digit growth in 2021 and 2022 , we expect sufficient availability of agave for the next few years to supply current trends .” •

www . stateways . com Spring 2024 • StateWays 9