We're a global leader in premium drinks, the exciting consumer products space. 200 brands. 180 countries. Diageo
Our tequila brands
Tequila brands that travel the world
Tequila Origins: Blending art with science
Most of the liquid that makes up our iconic tequila brands comes from blue agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico and surrounding areas. The production is a craft that balances art with science, and each bottle we sell has gone through a six-step process of cultivation and cutting, cooking, milling, fermentation, distillation, and maturation.
Learn more about tequila
Tequila is a distilled spirit, made from the Agave Weber Blue Variety, a plant that’s a member of the lily family native to Mexico. An agave plant takes from 5 to 8 years to mature.
Are you familiar with the different types of 100% agave tequila? There is Blanco, tequila in its purest form, clear and unaged; Reposado, aged up to one year in bourbon barrels; Añejo, aged up to two years in oak barrels; Extra Añejo, aged for three years or more in oak barrels; Joven, the result of mixing Blanco tequila with aged tequila
Tequila was first created in the 1700s-1800s. The name tequila was adopted from the region of Jalisco in Mexico, where the spirit originates.
Tequila has a DO (Denomination of Origin) - just like cognac and champagne. In 1974, tequila became the first Mexican product to have a denomination of origin.
An opportunity for growth
The popularity of tequila is on the rise among consumers, representing a great opportunity to drive growth. In F23, our tequila net sales grew 19%, driven by Don Julio and Casamigos in North America, and we’re well positioned to bring this increasingly popular spirit to consumers worldwide.
F23 performance for Diageo tequila
growth in net sales
reported net sales movement
reported net sales by category
volume movement
We see tequila as an opportunity to continue driving growth. To support future category expansion and drive sustainable growth, we’re investing in key areas.
- In F23, we launched a project to harvest rainwater through systems installed in 40 schools. These will provide drinking water to over 7,000 students in Jalisco.
- In F23, we built two wetlands with a capacity to replenish more than 268,000 m3 of water for communities in Jalisco, Mexico.
- In F23, Diageo and Don Julio partnered with authorities in Jalisco and different municipalities to support and extend efforts to prevent underage drinking.
- Through our brands, we’re present at in Los Altos every year to help promote positive drinking.
- We have introduced drones that can count the number of agave plants in a field and identify which plants need water. The drones are driving efficiency and ensuring the safety of our workers who used to manually spray the agave fields.
- Through new or upgraded biomass boilers in Mexico, tequila was the biggest contributor to reducing our Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions in F23.
- We will replenish over 100% of water used in our tequila operations by end of 2025.
- In F23, by identifying which agave plants need the pesticide and fertilizer water mix and how much, our drones contributed to water savings of close to 5.5 million liters.
- We have broken new ground on a wastewater treatment plant at our Atotonilco-Charcón site in Mexico, which will help deliver water efficiency improvements.
- We designed and implemented the first-ever digital planning tool on tequila-aged liquid.
- We introduced an advanced supply planning tool, which should enable us to drive end-to-end scenario planning and inventory optimisation.
- Following our 2021 investment to support growth in the tequila category, we spent £160 million in F23 on the construction of new facilities in Atotonilco and a new distillery in La Barca, Jalisco.
The first tequila to receive an ARA certification
In 2021, Don Julio Blanco tequila became the first tequila product to receive the Environmentally Responsible Agave (ARA) Certification from the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) and the Government of the State of Jalisco, Mexico. The certification assures consumers that the tequila they are drinking has been manufactured in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner with no deforestation in the production process.
In 2022, Diageo and Don Julio were also granted the Bosque Urbano Award as recognition for being a company that doesn’t carry out deforestation to produce cardboard boxes.