Page 40 - Beverage Master_AprMay2022

Craft Distillery
Exploring the Rise of
U.S.-Based Agave Spirits
By: Becky Garrison
A ccording to research from the
International Wines and Spirits Record
Drinks Market Analysis, agave spirits rep-
resent one of the fastest-growing drink categories
in the United States. The agave spirits category is
forecast to grow by 4% compound annual growth
rate through 2022. The most popular agave spir-
its, Tequila and Mezcal, posted respective gains of
8.5% and 32.4%.
Tequila represents an internationally recognized
geographic designation, or, Appellation of Origin.
As such, Tequila may only be produced in the
Tequila region of Mexico, which includes the state
of Jalisco and some municipalities in Guanajuato,
Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. Along those
38 April - May 2022 BEVERAGE MASTER
BM040522 Main Pages.indd 38
lines, agave spirits can be certified as mezcal in
all or some of the municipalities within Oaxaca,
Potosí, Tamaulipas, Michoacán, Puebla and Sinaloa.
Zacatecas, Durango, Guanajuato, Guerrero, San Luis
However, hundreds of agave species grow
throughout the world, with a diversity of distillation
methods. In particular, 100% agave spirit brands
and blends are being developed in the U.S., Peru,
Australia, France, South Africa and India.
On May 4, 2020, TTB Notice No. 176 governing
agave spirits sold in the U.S. went into effect. The
notice proposed to create, within the standards
of identity, a class called “agave spirits” with two
types within that class, “Tequila” and “mezcal,”
3/25/22 1:25 PM