In spite of the rising price of agave, 2017 has witnessed a record production of tequila, which, according to the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT), peaked at 254.1 million liters at the end of November.
It’s a good year for the industry, which has sought to, and succeeded in, establishing more strict denomination of origin rules governing production methods, location of production, etcetera. Last June, the tequila industry was granted rights to the tequila name in the United States, meaning that no longer is it considered merely a “generic liquor” there, but rather a beverage produced and bottled in Mexico and made from a specific type of agave (Blue Weber). The ruling gives the CRT the right to bring lawsuits against those who use the tequila name without meeting industry standards.
Authorities recently seized 11,340 liters of bootleg tequila destined for Chile. No doubt many more thousands of liters continue to slip through the cracks, a sign that, while they may have made significant gains, further strengthening of its denomination of origin is needed.