Which Country Drinks The Most Tequila? (It's Not Mexico)

Mexico may have invented tequila, but the United States drinks more of it than any other country in the world. Americans consume an estimated 308 million liters of tequila each year, about 59% of all tequila consumed worldwide, according to Tequila Report. That's just over twice as much as Mexico's estimated consumption. It seems Mexico is sending the vast majority of its tequila north of the border, making America by far its largest market. After the United States, the next-largest tequila-consuming countries are Mexico, Spain, Germany, Canada, Great Britain, and Colombia, but none come close to matching America's demand.

Since 2003, tequila's U.S. growth rate has been averaging 7% per year (via Distilled Spirits Council of the United States), making it one of the fastest-growing spirits categories in the country. Today, tequila ranks as the third-largest spirit in the U.S., trailing only vodka and whisky (via IWSR). Yet it's not just bottle sales that are fueling tequila's growth. Tequila is the top spirit ordered in bars and restaurants. More than 50,000 bars, 15,000 restaurants, and 150,000 retail outlets across North America actively promote tequila-based drinks, according to Market Report World. It even surpassed vodka sales at bars in 2024 (via Worth), even Smirnoff, the world's best-selling vodka brand.

Considering tequila is a protected Mexican spirit that can only be produced in designated regions of Mexico under strict regulations, it's surprising that Americans, not Mexicans, consume more of it than anyone else. So how did the U.S. become tequila's biggest customer?

Tequila's popularity in the United States didn't happen overnight. The agave spirit first made its way north in the 1800s thanks to José Antonio de Cuervo of best-selling tequila brand Jose Cuervo fame. As railroads expanded between the U.S. and Mexico at the turn of the century, so, too, did the availability of tequila. A surge in black market tequila sales later came during Prohibition, as Americans looked for access to liquor across the border. Short of a decade later, World War II disrupted the availability of European spirits, prompting many American drinkers to again turn to tequila and other locally produced alcohol types.

Perhaps the turning point in tequila's rise in popularity among American consumers came with the creation of the margarita in the 1940s and 1950s. While its exact origins are still subject to debate, many believe it evolved from the daisy family of cocktails. (Margarita is Spanish for daisy after all.) The margarita eventually became America's favorite cocktail, according to NielsenIQ Data, and helped cement tequila's place in modern U.S. drinking culture. Annual Cinco de Mayo celebrations and the popularity of Mexican chain restaurants like Chuy's have only reinforced tequila's popularity, giving millions of Americans another reason to reach for a margarita.

These days tequila sales keep increasing thanks to the addition of canned, ready-to-drink cocktails and the rise in premium celebrity-backed brands. But whether you're grabbing a budget-friendly bottle, canned margarita, or deciding between an anejo and extra añejo, tequila has never been more accessible — or popular — with American drinkers.