Among a rapidly evolving category, one thing remains the same in tequila and that’s the supremacy of Don Julio in the world’s best bars. The Diageo-owned brand makes it a decade in pole position on our bestselling list, but more than ever the competition is closing in.
This year, Don Julio was the bestselling tequila in 17% of our bars and a top-three serve in 45%, while second-placed Patrón was the bestseller in 12% (more than twice as much as last year) and a top-three in 42% of polled bars. It may be a bit pricier, but Bacardi’s flagship tequila has never been closer to the top. Ocho, now owned by Heaven Hill, jumps one position to complete the podium. Despite its new ownership, it hasn’t lost its shine among bartenders thanks to its agave-forward profile, terroir driven production and the close relationship that the Estes family share with the industry.
Meanwhile, Olmeca Altos falls one place to fourth. The Pernod Ricard brand was the house pour in 15% of bars throughout 2024, but for this year that figure fell to just 7%. If Altos is on the wane, Tapatio seems to be on the opposite trajectory. Like Altos, it’s the go-to tequila in 7% of polled bars but lacks some of the more established brands’ strength in depth, a top-three in 13%.
Below, Diageo’s Casamigos makes a return to the list following a year of absence, just pipping Fortaleza to seventh. But if Fortaleza doesn’t yet have the allocation in speedrails, it certainly has the admiration of the people who stand behind them – it tops the trending list, displacing Don Julio. It’ll be interesting to see how that endorsement translates to sales in next year’s table.
But while it remains business as usual at the top, a notable omission hints at a category that is changing. Before the reign of Don Julio, it was Jose Cuervo that topped this chart and this year, the Proximo-owned brand has fallen off the list, perhaps an indication that among the world’s best bars anything less than 100% agave just won’t do anymore.
How we did it
To collect the data we curate a 100-strong sample of bars from an even geographical split which have featured in recent editions of The Word’s 50 Best Bars (1-100) and Tales of the Cocktail’s Spirited Awards, plus regional awards such as North America and Asia’s 50 Best Bars and national awards such as the Class Bar Awards. To ensure the best global coverage, about 5% of the 100 were ‘editor’s picks’ – highly rated bars in regions less represented to assure a truly global data pool reflective of the current bar industry.
Of course, the panel rotates each year to not only ensure a fair and accurate set of results, but represent the current geography of the industry’s best bars year on year.
As part of the survey, we ask each bar owner or head bartender to revise their sales spreadsheets and rank the three bestselling products in each spirit, beer, wine and mixer category. A bestselling brand, even in the best bars in the world, earns its place on more than taste, so we also wanted to know the brands that are not necessarily doing huge volumes but are on trend. This is where the trending lists come in. Within these tables are the brands customers are increasingly asking for, perhaps because of word of mouth or even on bartenders’ recommendations. Often the brands that figure highly in the trending list move on to the bestselling list the following year, as curiosity and excitement transition to weight of sales.
To view the page-turner edition of the Brands Report click here.
The Brands Report will be serialised on drinksint.com throughout January.
