Tequila, the beloved representative drink of Mexico, flows freer in the United States than in any other country—including Mexico.
In 2011, Uncle Sam imported 124.8 million liters of the fiery liquor. Mexico kept just 99.9 million liters for domestic consumption.
All those liters represent around 13.9 million cases of tequila – that’s up nearly 20 percent from 2010, on top of a 47 percent increase from 2003 to 2010.
Not only are Americans generally buying more, they are learning to like the stuff, as opposed to gagging it down with a handful of salt smeared with lime pulp. Sales of tequila bottles specifically in the wholesale range of about 20 dollars per bottle have increased by 129 percent since 2003, while sales in the 22 dollars and up range (super premium tequila) have gone up by 317 percent.All of this tequila upscaling in the United States has been largely a result of six years of heavy investment by major brands in advertising and consumer education, according to Francisco González, president of the National Chamber of the Tequila Industry. That said, Americans still buy far more whiskey and vodka than any other spirit—four to five times more than tequila.
And though their northern neighbor may now buy more, Mexicans still drink more than twice the tequila per capita as Americans.