Americans Drink More Tequila Than Any Other Nation on Earth

Each year for Cinco de Mayo, tequila flows at bars and restaurants across the country. But Americans are pretty fond of the agave-based drink the other 364 days of the year, as well.

A study by the IWSR, a leading source of data on the alcoholic beverage market, found that Americans drink more tequila than any other nation on earth. And we’re drinking more and more of it.

Consumption of tequila, mezcal and other agave-based spirits was up 9% in the U.S. last year. Collectively the category is expected to see growth of 4% per year through 2022, which will put it close to the level of rum sales in the U.S.

Mezcal is the fastest growing spirit among agave-based drinks, with consumption jumping 32.4% last year, due in large part to a small starting base of aficionados. Tequila, which had a large number of fans already, was up an impressive 8.5%.


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