A higher class of Mexican tequila, Extra Añejo, was introduced to global markets in 2005.

The delicate process of making fine tequila has sparked the interest of spirit drinkers beyond Mexican borders in recent years. In response to this newfound enthusiasm for quality spirits, tequila-makers are pushing their products further, not only through the methods they use to produce the spirit, but also through their choice of branding both at home and abroad.

The new category of Extra Añejo that was introduced in 2005, where the spirit is barrel-matured for at least three years, has helped tequila, especially the higher-end brands, to become the must-have spirit in the United States, Europe and Asia. As a result, there is not a major distillery in Mexico that, in recent years, hasn’t re-thought its products to meet the needs of increasingly demanding consumers.

Moreover, as international markets clamour for premium tequila, Mexican producers are also becoming more sensitive to global branding standards. Consequently, they have created a Denominación de Origen (Guarantee of Origen) classification, similar to that used for many European wines in which products are linked to specific locations and conditions. This has significantly heightened tequila’s competitiveness in the face of other high-end spirits and unapproved imitations.

Miguel Ángel Domínguez, President of the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), is charged with the regulation, R&D and export support for Mexico’s tequila industry. Delighted with this new enthusiasm for tequila, his agency is encouraging producers to maintain quality standards.

“At CRT, we are convinced of the importance of promoting an authentic, quality product. Through categories such as the Extra Añejo, we are consolidating the image of tequila and the idea that Mexico can produce quality products suitable for tastebuds all over the world.”

One tequila producer that sends its products as far afield as Japan is La Madrileña. In response to the changing nature of the industry and product, the company is working hard to ensure that its brand name is further established in international circles.

A family business founded in 1911, La Madrileña had historically exported unbranded tequila. Lately, however, as a result of its experience as the main distributor in Mexico of various international brands, such as the United States’ Ernest and Julio Gallo wines, Director General Luis Velasco Fernández says that, “the transition from being purely a producer to a distributor of other people’s brands has helped us internally to market our own brands better.”