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Across North America, Mexican spirits have always been big – tequila even overtook whiskey as the US’s second biggest spirit in 2023 – but it’s taken the UK a little longer to catch on.
Now, though, premium Mexican spirits are on the rise, and we are surely in our agave era. Celebs are bringing out agave-based drinks by the crate-load (shout out to Rita Ora, Kendall Jenner and Nick Jonas), spicy margs have their own merch, and even Waitrose reported an 86% increase in sales of tequila last year.
This growing love of tequila has had a knock-on effect on the agave category as a whole, driving interest in mezcal, the lesser-known Mexican agave spirit. No longer the preserve of taquerias, it is now on the menu in lots of places, from luxury hotels to cool neighbourhood cocktail bars.
What’s the difference between tequila and mezcal? Essentially, it’s all about the type of agave used. By law, tequila must be produced with at least 51% blue Weber agave and it can only be produced in five states, with Jalisco being the state at the heart of the tequila world.
Mezcal refers to spirits made from other varieties of the agave plant, often using species such as espadín, tobalá and tepeztate. It can be made in nine states, though Oaxaca is the main region. Unlike tequila, agave for mezcal is roasted underground over hot volcanic stones before fermentation, hence the smoky flavour.
Within the tequila and mezcal categories, there are a few main styles, too:
Blanco/plata/silver: unaged or rested for up to two months, the spirit should taste crisp, clean and fresh with citrussy, tropical flavours. The liquid will be clear or very light.
Reposado: aged for two months to one year, the spirit becomes softer, warmer and takes on woody flavours from the barrel. The liquid is usually golden.
Anejo: aged for one to three years, the spirit is far sweeter, richer and more complex. The liquid is a deep caramel colour.
There are other styles, such as extra anejo, but these are the main ones to look out for to navigate the labelling.
Testing was not for the fainthearted: I tried each of the 40-ish tequilas and mezcals I sourced straight and unchilled, making notes on the aroma and taste for each until I had a shortlist of about 25. From there, I mixed up any specific serves recommended by the brand, or that I thought would particularly complement the spirit, and whittled down the list to a sensible number that I hope spans a range of styles and price points. As ever, I have tried to include several sustainable options and small, independent producers within this.
Whether you’re an agave aficionado or are just getting acquainted with Mexican spirits, tequila and mezcal are valuable assets to your home bar. From sipping over ice to mixing up bloody marias or mezcalitas, having a great-tasting bottle to hand always helps get the party started.
The best tequila and mezcal for 2025
Best luxury tequila:
Patrón El Alto
This premium, aged tequila from agave heavyweight Patrón is the first of its kind. A blend of extra anejo, anejo and reposado tequila that has been aged for four years in 11 different barrels (American oak and French oak among them), it’s a thing of beauty. On first tasting, it’s hard to believe this is a tequila. It’s a bit like sipping a fine cognac: very smooth, gently sweet and with notes of dried fig, it’s rich and complex, but somehow retains the lightness that makes great tequila so delicious. I love it and couldn’t possibly sully it by drinking it with anything else. It comes in a lovely, ornate bottle and box, ideal for giving as a gift should you be moved to.
Best blanco tequila:
Teremana blanco
Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson worked with a Mexican, family-owned distillery to create a home for his small-batch tequila, Teremana. Using mature, blue agave that’s responsibly sourced from the Jalisco highlands, Teremana Blanco is sweet, light, clean and fresh, as a young tequila should be. Notes of tropical fruit and a touch of spearmint mean this tequila is naturally easy-drinking, but it also makes a mean margarita.
Best rosa tequila:
Código 1530 rosa
Código’s small-batch blanco tequila has been given a rose makeover with this 1530 rosa expression. Made using traditional methods and mature, lowland agave, the blanco spirit is rested for a month in uncharred French, Napa Valley cabernet wine barrels, imbuing the liquid with delicate red wine notes. Fruit-forward flavours of blackcurrant and cherries mingle with the salty, herbaceous agave, making it obvious this is not a straightforward tequila. Interesting on its own, it’s also good in a tangy paloma (two parts tequila, one part grapefruit juice, one part sparkling water, lime).
Best smoky mezcal:
Del Maguey Vida Clásico
Del Maguey’s ethos is to capture the essence of a place (such as a wine’s terroir), and its single village mezcals can be pricey. As such, this entry-level expression from the tropical, riverside village of San Luis del Rio in Oaxaca is a treat to try. Handcrafted using mature, maguey espadín fruit and ancient production processes, it has bags of tropical fruit flavours and notes of ginger and cinnamon that give it a lingering fiery finish. All mezcals are wonderful with fresh pineapple juice, but this one particularly so, with the juicy tartness complementing the smoke and spice of Vida Clásico beautifully.
Best mezcal for a margarita:
Rosaluna joven
There’s a lot to like about this mezcal, even if you think you don’t like mezcal. For a start, it’s sustainably produced in Oaxaca by a brother and sister who grow, farm, ferment and distil their own spirit, using extra sweet, over-ripened agave, just as six generations have done before them. Sweet like caramel and punchy with pineapple notes, it has a lovely roasted quality, but none of the smokiness usually found in mezcal. Rosaluna won an award for the world’s best margarita at the US Beverage Testing Institute, and I can attest to this: it’s delicious. Be sure to try a dash in good hot chocolate for a Mexican taste sensation.
Best mezcal gift set:
The Lost Explorer trilogy pack
This trio of mezcals from Oaxaca-based the Lost Explorer is an ideal first foray into the category and a great gift for signed-up members of the mezcal fanclub. If you need further convincing, this exact selection is available as a tasting flight at Mestizo (a Mexican friend once said this was the only authentic Mexican restaurant in London).
All three are award-winning artisanal mezcals, sustainably produced by maestro mezcalero Fortino Ramos, but otherwise they couldn’t be more different from each other. Using agaves grown for eight to 12 years (the longest I’ve seen), each mezcal has its own personality, demonstrating the importance of species and terroir. The espadín expression is sweet and herbal with lots of orchard fruit; tobalá is earthy, savoury and warm with leather, charred lime and background of smoke; finally, the salmiana is grassy with hints of succulents and zesty, green chilli – it’s like a picante cocktail in a bottle.
Best mezcal for sipping:
Zacal Manso Sahuayo y Bruto
Unlike the vast majority of mezcal, which hails from Oaxaca, new mezcal brand Zacal is based in Michoacán (known as the soul of Mexico), and it offers something a little different. Indeed, this small-batch, artisanal spirit (which gets its name from the blend of two organic semi-wild agaves from which it’s made) was recently awarded the highest accolade of double gold at the International Spirits Challenge.
The blend of two agaves gives a harmonious, balanced sip, while the use of a small chimney in the production process draws away excess smoke and leaves a more delicate character in the spirit. The mezcal is gently sweet and herbal, amazingly clean and has an almond-like, creamy finish; frankly, it tastes expensive. Sip it over ice and level up with a charred grapefruit garnish.
Best anejo tequila:
Herradura anejo
The Herradura distillery was founded in 1870 in Jalisco, and is now the last to remain on the historic Hacienda estate. Often credited with creating the reposado and extra anejo categories of tequila, Herradura has long been a pioneering brand, so the depth of this 25-month-aged anejo shouldn’t be a surprise. Tasted side-by-side against other tequilas in the same category and price range, this liquid is far richer and more complex. A warm caramel colour, with tons of oak flavour and a rum-like character of vanilla, toffee and wood smoke, Herradura anejo gives you a lot of bang for your buck.
Best bargain tequila:
Sierra reposado
The only non-100% agave tequila on this list, Sierra tequila has won many awards as a mixto tequila – one that uses other sugar sources in addition to agave. Sierra uses Mexican sugar cane alongside its 51% agave, which goes some way to explaining its low price tag. But put any tequila snobbery out of your mind, and this reposado is a nice surprise. The kitsch mini sombrero had me bracing myself for a rough spirit; it’s not, and neither was the younger blanco. Sierra reposado is aged in toasted oak barrels for nine months, giving it hints of woody pineapple, a silky smoothness and absolutely no raw alcohol burn. Result.
Best tequila for cocktails:
El Jimador blanco
This is another bargain tequila, and a 100% agave tequila at that. El Jimador was created out of the Herradura distillery, with the aim of bringing out a high-quality, 100% agave tequila at an accessible price. Today, it’s one of the top tequilas in the UK, and it’s easy to see why: unaged, it’s crisp, clear, citrussy and versatile enough for any classic tequila-based cocktail. I enjoyed it in a strawberry spritz (El Jimador Blanco, strawberry puree, sugar syrup, lime and prosecco) during the summer. The El Jimador anejo shaken up with Kahlua, espresso and sugar syrup also makes a searingly good “Mexpresso martini”.
Best classic mezcal:
Del Suelo espadín
This mezcal is a definitive example of the category. Made in the remote Oaxaca mountains in the village of San Luis del Rio (where the Del Maguey Vida Clásico hails from) using sustainable practices, it has everything you could want from a top-notch mezcal. Del Suelo’s mezcalero has been making mezcal here since childhood, and he’s nailed it. It’s fresh yet (very!) smoky, saline and savoury, thanks to those volcanic soils and smoking stones. I found it reminiscent of an Islay whisky. Use it to make classic cocktails with a mezcal twist, and it won’t disappoint.
Best tequila for parties:
818 tequila blanco
When the tequila shots come out, I hope it’s this award-winning 100% agave tequila owned by Kendall Jenner in the glass. Using mature, blue agave grown on family-owned farms in Jalisco, the distillery slow cooks the fruit and uses traditional stone pits to extract the juice before fermenting and distilling in copper pot stills. The result is an extremely light-bodied, young and sweet tequila, with herby citrus and lots of dessert-adjacent flavours: think marzipan, key lime pie and tropical fruit.
Best unsmoky mezcal:
Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej
As with the Rosaluna, this artisanal mezcal from Los Siete Misterios is much lower in smoke than you expect from the spirit, with lots of citrus and fruit at the fore instead. Made in Oaxaca (including in the world capital of Mezcal, Santiago Matatlán), espadín agave are cooked underground before being crushed in a horse-drawn tahona, fermented then twice distilled in copper-pot stills. Neat, it has notes of dried and fresh coconut and a summery profile with just the faintest wisp of pineapple smoke. A real all-rounder, it’s as satisfying sipped as it is in tropical cocktails – I love it as a spicy marg.
For more cocktail cabinet inspiration from the Filter:
The best gins for G&Ts, martinis and negronis
The best whisky: 13 tried-and-tested tipples
The best vodkas, tested
Joanne Gould is a food, drink and lifestyle writer with a decade of experience. As well as enthusiastically eating her way through London’s best bars and restaurants, she’s also a keen home cook and can often be found trying a new recipe or kitchen gadget, while taste-testing anything from South African wines to speciality coffee or scotch. Luckily, she also enjoys walking, running and keeping fit and healthy in her spare time – for balance
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