Tequila production increased more than 40% in the first eight months of the year, guaranteeing that a new annual production record will be set in 2021.

Data from the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) shows that 348.7 million liters of Mexico’s most famous tipple were produced between January and August, a 41.8% increase compared to the same period of 2020, a year in which production rose 6% to an annual record of 374 million liters.

“We’re doing very well in production,” said CRT director Ramón González Figueroa, adding that he expects production in 2021 to exceed that of 2020 by between 20% and 25%.

“We’ll finish [the year] with high numbers despite [production] slowing down a little in December,” he said.

González said tequila exports between January and August rose 21.9% to 220.2 million liters, or 63% of production.

“… The main consumer is the United States with 86% of export volumes [going there], followed by Germany, Spain, Canada, Australia, Colombia, France, Latvia, the United Kingdom and Italy – countries that continue consuming tequila despite the pandemic,” he said.

Made from the blue agave plant, tequila has “denomination of origin” protection and can only be legally produced in certain municipalities in five states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.

The main production center is the town of Tequila, Jalisco, located about 60 kilometers northwest of Guadalajara. Tequila is Mexico’s third biggest agri-food export after beer and avocados.

Tequila and mezcal exports were worth US $1.15 billion in the first five months of 2021, according to the federal Agriculture Ministry.

With reports from Reforma and Líder Empresarial