Tequila aficionados raised a glass or two of Mexico’s “liquid gold” on Monday, July 25, International Tequila Day, the annual date dedicated to celebrating the famed and much loved alcoholic spirit.
The day has slowly gained acknowledgment in recent years, and now distillers, producers, bars and restaurants both north and south of the border have jumped on the bandwagon to take advantage of its marketing potential.
The day was also an opportunity for the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) to boast about the drink’s growing domestic and worldwide appeal and the steps the industry’s governing body has taken to protect its geographical status, and reduce its carbon footprint.
Tequila was the first Mexican product to receive an Appellation of Origin in 1978, specifying 181 municipalities as production areas, mostly within Jalisco, but also some parts of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.
In 1979, Canada was the first country to recognize tequila with an international registration, and the United States and the European Union—the two main international markets for the liquor—gave their initial certification to tequila as a brand in 1994 (under the North American Free Trade Agreement) and 1997, respectively.
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