Tequila trifecta: making the most of the tequila boom

To satisfy the growing thirst for premium 100% Agave Tequila, Spirits Platform is proud to announce the addition of four new award-winning premium tequilas to our portfolio.

The growth of premium spirits is set to be a key driver of beverage value in the next five years, according to the latest IWSR Drinks Market Analysis. And in the premium spirits category, nothing is growing faster than Tequila. The growth is in value, not just volume, as consumers turn their back on cheaper ‘mixto’, or mixed Tequilas in favour of 100% Agave Tequilas made from high-quality ingredients.

According to the latest IWSR Tequila Category Assessment Report, super-premium Tequila will hold a 55% share of global category value and 40% of category volume by 2026(1).

Premium, Sustainable, and Artisanal – the Tequila trifecta consumers are after

The iconic Mexican Spirit is set to experience a growth rate three times higher than that of the entire spirits industry, with the tequila trend expected to continue until 2026(1). In Australia, the growth is even more spectacular at 34% annually – 4.5 times the rate of other spirits. Australians are now the world’s third largest Tequila consumers, behind only Mexico and the USA(3).

To satisfy this growing thirst, Spirits Platform is now proud to bring you four of the best award-winning premium Tequilas. These brands come with sustainability credentials and great brand stories that celebrate the traditions of this wonderful spirit.

Super premium sustainable tequilas from Mijenta

Inspired by ‘mi gente’ which means ‘my people’, Mijenta is the first and only 100% Agave Tequila so far to be B Corp certified as a public benefit corporation, dedicated to using business for good.

Handcrafted using traditional artisanal methods, Mijenta products are carbon neutral. Their packaging is eco-friendly and they never use pesticides or herbicides when farming their agave plants. As their name implies, Mijenta works hand in hand with local communities to benefit the people, creating their Tequila using traditional methods. B Corp certification builds on Mijenta’s recent additive-free recognition from Tequila Matchmaker – the most extensive Tequila database on earth, which employs highly rigorous assessment criteria.

The result is award-winning, additive-free, artisanal 100% Agave Tequila, with the added appeal of genuine social responsibility.

You can taste the care and craft in Mijenta in every drop.

Tasting Notes – Mijenta Blanco

Mijenta Blanco is bright and transparent with a powerful body. The nose offers intense aromas of cooked agave, vanilla, and caramel, and floral and fruity notes of cantaloupe and peaches. The palate delivers rich flavours of cooked agave, vanilla, fresh fruit, and spices like cinnamon.
Mijenta Blanco was the Robb Report Best of the Best Winner 2021, won a Gold USA spirits rating in 2020, and has been awarded 97/100 Points from Tasting Panel Magazine.

Tasting Notes – Mijenta Reposado

Mijenta Reposado is aged up to six months and is a blend of American white oak, French oak, and French Acacia. This ‘rested’ 100% Agave Tequila offers a light golden hue that is bright and transparent. A delicate and inviting vanilla nose features notes of bergamot, honey, preserved fruits, and orange blossoms. The palate offers rich flavours of cooked agave, honey, and vanilla with a mid-palate of cacao nibs leading to a long and generous finish.

Mijenta Reposado won a Master Medal Tequila & Mezcal Masters 2022 and Gold at Tequila Aficionado 2022 and was awarded 99/100 Points from Tasting Panel Magazine.

A 40-year tradition of growing agave chemical-free

New 100% Agave offerings from Australia’s most popular brand. For years spirits platform has offered Sierra Tequila – the most popular tequila in Australia – in Silver and Reposado varieties. Now, we’re proud to add Sierra Antiguo Plata and Sierra Antiguo Añejo (Aged) 100% de Agave Tequilas. Antiguo means old, ancient, or antique in Spanish – and as you’d expect, this premium Tequila is made the old-fashioned way consistent with the traditions of Mexican culture.

A fourth-generation family-owned enterprise, Destilerías Sierra Unidas in Guadalajara Mexico, is one of a very small group of tequila producers who have been growing agave for over 40 years without using chemical fertilisers. The Blue Weber Agave for Sierra Antiguo Plata and Sierra Antiguo Añejo is also grown free of industrial irrigation for up to 7 years, before being harvested by hand and distilled in the copper pot stills of the family-run distillery.

The result is a premium tequila that is genuine, natural, and highly authentic.

Tasting Notes – Sierra Antiguo Plata

For a young product, Sierra Antiguo Plata impresses with a fresh smell, which carries a fruity sweetness. On the palate, citrus and a clear agave note are rounded off by a soft taste in the finish.

Tasting Notes – Sierra Antiguo Añejo

Its older brother, Sierra Antiguo Añejo is aged up to two years in small oak barrels, giving it its inimitable aroma, versatile character, and full-bodied profile. The flavour bouquet reveals an interplay of vanilla, oranges, cloves, and pepper, leading to a fruity finish.

Tequila’s growing on-premise popularity

According to recent research, in 2022 a respectable 15% of consumers consumed Tequila on premise. At the same time, almost 30% of those ordering tequila are ordering it more often than they did a year ago.

When it comes to the choice of Tequila serve, cocktails are rapidly gaining on shots. In the year to July 2022, consumption of cocktails in Australian bars and restaurants grew a whopping 28%2. And Australia’s number one cocktail has Tequila at its heart. Today, the Margarita is the most-ordered cocktail in Australia, knocking the Espresso Martini out of the number one spot. And as Australians go back to the Margarita in droves, they’re becoming increasingly picky about the Tequilas they use to craft their favourite cocktail. 100% Agave Tequila has a complex flavour profile, making it the perfect tequila for making cocktails like the Margarita when you want the agave notes to stand out.
Here’s a classic Margarita recipe featuring Sierra Antiguo Plata tequila.

Here’s a classic Margarita recipe featuring Sierra Antiguo Plata tequila.

Sierra Margarita Clásica (Classic Margarita)

30ml Sierra Antiguo Plata
30ml Cointreau
30ml fresh lime juice
Garnish with a lime wedge.
Fill up a cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
Put all ingredients into it and shake until it’s chilled.
Strain into a classic margarita glass with a salt rim.
Garnish with a lime wedge.
Margaritas are far from the only cocktail mix to benefit from the complexity of 100% Agave Tequila – as this fresh take on another classic proves without a doubt.

There’s no better way to taste the quality of a tequila than in a Negroni. Here’s our Mijenta recipe.

The Mijenta Negroni (Tegroni)

1.25 parts Mijenta Tequila Blanco
1 part Select Aperitivo
1 part sweet vermouth
Stir all ingredients with plenty of ice and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon peel.

From Añejo to Reposado to Blanco, and from Super-premium 100% Agave to mixto, from neat/sippers to shots to cocktail construction – Spirits Platform is a premium tequila distributor in Australia for award-winning Tequilas in every category. See the awards list below. If you’d like to stock any or all of these award-winning tequilas, contact your local Spirits Platform State Manager. If you’d like to know more about our portfolio or need education for you or your staff, please contact the relevant Spirits Academy Brand Ambassador in your state. You can also keep in touch with the latest trends and new releases and take advantage of exclusive offers by subscribing here.

Recent awards from our award-winning Tequila Portfolio:

Cocktail Construction

Sierra Antiguo Plata
– Gold Medal 2022 Tequila & Mezcal Masters
Mijenta Blanco
– Robb Report Best of the Best Winner 2021
– Gold USA spirits rating 2020
– 97/100 Points from Tasting Panel Magazine

Neat/Sipping

Sierra Antiguo Añejo
– Master Medal 2022 Tequila & Mezcal Masters
Mijenta Reposado
– Master Medal Tequila & Mezcal Masters 2022
– Awarded coveted ‘Brand of Promise’ Gold by Tequila Aficionado 2021
– 99/100 Points from Tasting Panel Magazine

Shots

Sierra Silver
– Silver at the 2022 Tequila & Mezcal Masters
Sierra Reposado
– Silver at the 2022 Tequila & Mezcal Masters

1Tequila Category Assessment report published by IWSR Drinks Market Analysis
2Source: CGA OPUS Australia Autumn (Mar)
3IWSR, quoted in: https://drinksdigest.com/2022/07/13/australia-becomes-worlds-third-biggest-tequila-market/