What’s Trending In Tequila Right Now? We Asked An Expert

Tequila has undergone something of a renaissance over the past few years. No longer just the drink you shot begrudgingly with salt and lime on a boozy night out, these days it’s one of the trendiest spirits around. In late 2024 Waitrose reported a surge in sales, and margaritas were one of the top 10 most popular cocktails in the UK last year, according to a report from Bacardi. 

There are a number of reasons for the boom, including better quality from improved production methods, the TikTokification of #SpicyMarg culture, and a string of celebrity endorsements, such as Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Teremana, which arrived in the UK in 2024. So what does 2025 hold for the buzzy tipple? Here, we find out more from Teremana’s UK brand ambassador, esteemed mixologist and drinks expert William Solorzano, who has years of experience working in some of London’s top bars.

Everything You Need To Know About Tequila, According To A Mixologist

What’s behind tequila’s newfound popularity?

I think tequila has those summer vibes that we want to feel when we go out with friends. It mixes well and its two most popular cocktails, the margarita and paloma, are easy to recreate at home.

Can you explain the main different types of tequila?

Tequila has a few classifications. The three main classifications are all 100 percent agave tequilas and it starts with Blanco through to Reposado and finally Anejo. 

• Blanco is tequila at its purest and raw form. On the nose you get floral notes, hints of citrus and when you taste it you get this black pepper spice and a smooth finish. 
• Reposado is a tequila that spends time in oak barrels. American oak barrels that used to contain bourbon are the most popular ones. The flavour profiles it adds tends to be vanilla, butterscotch, cinnamon. The tequila can spend anytime between two months up to a year in the wood. 
• For Anejo, the tequila can spend between 12 months up to three years in oak. This gives off stronger woody notes, more winter spices and hints of roasted pineapple from all the time spent in the oak mellows out the liquid to make it even easier to sip. 

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What’s the difference between tequila and mezcal?

The real difference comes from the fact that out of a variety of up to 200 agaves that can be used to make mezcal, tequila can only use one type of agave, the blue weber agave. Tequila can only be made within five states inside of Mexico, whilst mezcal can be made in nine different states. Tequila can be described as the sophisticated younger brother and mezcal is the tougher older brother.

What trends are you seeing in tequila at the moment? 

The major trend I am seeing now is bars experimenting with more interesting serves than the usual variations of margaritas and palomas. A lot more thought and consideration is taken into making fun cocktails. Tequila has always been used with the same ingredients but now people are not afraid to mix it with influences from other countries and using local ingredients from their respective regions. 

There is now a variety of different salt rims, variations on spicy margaritas, frozen cocktails, even RTDs (ready-to-drink) in the off-trade, which shows how tequila is becoming more generally accepted as a core repertoire spirit.

What’s a common misconception about tequila?

That the blue weber agave is a cactus. It’s not and actually the agave is closely related to asparagus.

Top tips for creating the perfect margarita?

Always use fresh lime juice, a good triple sec is very important, and sea salt and Teremana Blanco are a must. Add some pineapple juice and we have a great summer variation called the People’s Margarita.

What makes a good tequila? What should people look out for when shopping?

At Teremana we focus on the ABC of tequila making. A is for agave: a 100 percent fully mature blue weber agave tequila is a must. B is for brick ovens, tequila cooked in brick ovens has a flavour that is true to the purists and Teremana is roasted in smaller brick ovens at a lower temperature to enhance the flavour. C is for copper pot stills. Teremana is a small batch tequila so is distilled in hand crafted copper pot stills, the best way to distill alcohol throughout history. This really brings out the best flavours. Always look out for tequila that doesn’t hide its production methods and where it’s from.

Find out more at teremanatequila.com