30 Great Tequila Brands to Buy in Mexico (with Prices)

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Are you looking for the best artisanal tequila brands and hard-to-find special editions to buy while visiting Mexico?

I have tasted the goods. I have lived in the heart of tequila country since 2009 and have been gifting fine tequila to my friends and family in the United States for decades. I love surprising people with special bottles that are hard to find outside of Jalisco.

Interestingly, it can be hard to find many of these tequilas outside of Jalisco. Mexico’s domestic tequila market favors huge brands with multimillion-dollar marketing budgets and industrial production techniques. I suggest reading this article that I wrote on the different types of tequila, explaining the difference between artisanal tequila and commodity tequila.

Jalisco is home to most of Mexico’s tequila and is the best place to tour artisanal distilleries and the blue agave fields. There are dozens of small tequila brands that do not have celebrity influencers or large marketing departments promoting their tequila. Many of these small tequila manufacturers make tequila for their friends, family, and community.

A while back, someone plagiarized one of my articles on the beaches near Guadalajara. As I was poking around their blog I found an article they had written about the best tequila brands to buy in Mexico. It might have been an AI hallucination but why would you recommend traveling all the way to Mexico only to buy mixto tequila sold at gas stations all over the planet?

Many of these tequila brands are looking back to recipes and production methods of historic record. There is a heavy element of culture and history interwoven with these brand stories.

It would be a shame to come all the way to Mexico only to buy the same bottle sold at your local convenience store. I recommend looking for something special.

Quick Guide: The Best Tequilas to Buy in Mexico

• Cascahuin Special Editions
• Los Abuelos
• Reserva de los González

The Cascahuin Distillery (NOM 1123) is my absolute favorite tequila distillery in Mexico. Chava Rosales has been something of a guide to great tequila and authentic Mexican culture. He is one of the nicest people in the food and beverage industry and understands tequila’s significance to the national identity. Every brand of tequila made at the Cascahuin Distillery has a dedication to quality at every step of the production process but they are open to trying new things and experimenting. I highly recommend touring the Cascahuin Tequila Distillery when you visit Jalisco.

Los Abuelos has a cult following, and it is nearly impossible to find the Los Abuelos Tequila label in retail establishments outside of Mexico. Buying a bottle of Los Abuelos at the factory to share with your friends will impress even the hardcore agave enthusiasts.

Reserva de los González is a high-quality tequila made by a famed tequila family that is not sold commercially outside of Mexico.

Make it a point to find something special while you are on vacation in Mexico and leave the commodity tequila for the tourists. You are an enthusiast.

An Overview of the Best Tequila Brands to Buy in Mexico

Jalisco is the heart of tequla country. While the Consejo Regulador de Tequila allows the production of tequila in five different states, Jalisco is the only state where every municipality is allowed to participate in the appelation of origen. Nayarit, Guanajuato, and Michoacan are only included in a limited number of municipalities near the Jalisco state border.

If you are in Jalisco, it is easy to find a great bottle of tequila. If you are in the Cancun airport, the options are somewhat limited

Where To Buy Tequila In Mexico

The best place to buy tequila is directly from the distillery or from the manufacturer. Before flying to the United States I always make a run to the Cascahuin factory store in Downtown Guadalajara. They have the best prices and if there are special editions on the market, the factory store is the best place to find them.

The second-best place to buy tequila is Tequilas El Buho in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. Tlaquepaque is famous for tequila stores with a staggering number of tequila brands in stock. El Buho is the best. The people are sincerely excited to talk about tequila, swap stories, and make honest recommendations on tequilas to buy and distilleries to visit.

The worst place to buy a bottle of tequila is at the Guadalajara airport. The airport is outrageously expensive. They have a nice selection of quality tequilas but they cost twice what they do at a regular liquor store. Make sure to plan your tequila purchases in advance.

1. Cascahuin

NOM 1123 El Arenal, Jalisco (Los Valles Region)

Tequila Cascahuin is the cult favorite tequila in Jalisco. The serious agave enthusiasts – this includes bartenders, distillery reps, and my mother-in-law – all recommend Cascahuin.

This is a tequila for tequila lovers. It is a small, family-run distillery that was founded in 1955 but the Rosales family has been making tequila for generations since 1904. The name Cascahuin comes from prehispanic roots and is interpreted as Cerro de Luz or party in the hills. There is a nice view of the Tequila Volcano from the Cascahuin property in El Arenal, Jalisco

All of their tequilas are excellent. I served the least expensive bottle of 38% ABV Cascahuin tequila blanco at my son’s baptism to rave reviews from the family. My wife has a lot of family from Mexico City and they love tequila. However, in Mexico City, they drink all the commercial brands. They don’t have the same variety of tequilas that we have in Jalisco.

There was a little bit of skepticism when the gringo showed up with cases of inexpensive tequila blanco that nobody had ever heard of. I heard more than once about someone’s preference for Maestro Dobel. I won them all over and there has been a great tequila awakening in the family.

Now, every time we go to Mexico City we bring half a case of artisanal tequilas by request. Tequila Cascahuin is one of the best gifts you can bring back from Mexico. Every tequila drinker will love it.

The inexpensive line of tequilas is excellent. The least expensive bottle of 38% ABV Cascahuin tequila blanco costs MX$360 at the factory store and a little bit more at other retail establishments.

If you really want to style someone out, then a bottle of the Cascahuin Tahona will accomplish that goal. That bottle costs MX$860 at the factory store. If you are a collector and happen to come across a bottle of a special edition like the 11Brix 53% ABV or the Cerro de Luz 49% ABV, they are going to impress the hard-core tequila lovers out there.

The Cascahuin Distillery is open to tours Monday thru Saturday. Reservations are recommended. A general tour costs MX$100. A tour and tasting starts at MX$300 per person for the blanco, reposado, and añejo flight. The tour plus premium tasting costs MX$420 and is the cheapest tasting of ultra-premium tequilas you can find the Valles Region. They recommend booking a tour 10 days in advance. Send them an email at info (@) tequilacascahuin.com

2. Siete Leguas

NOM 1120 Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco (La Ciénega Region)

This is the bottle of tequila that sent me down the rabbit hole. When I first moved to Guadalajara, this was the bottle that everyone in the restaurant industry recommended that I drink. To this day, many of the hardcore tequila-loving individuals that I have worked with in the Guadalajara restaurant industry are fanatical about Siete Leguas.

Today, Siete Leguas is the most commercial bottle of tequila on this list, but it is still artisanally made from start to finish. It is just really popular in Mexico.

The reason that I put this bottle in the number two position is the easy availability. This is the bottle you should look for at the liquor store in Cancun or Los Cabos. I have seen this bottle in duty-free shops and mainstream grocery stores. It is high quality, affordable, and absolutely delicious.

7 Leguas is a reference to the mythological horse ridden by revolutionary hero Pancho Villa. A league is a unit of measurement equivalent to 3 miles on land (nautical leagues are different). There are tons of references to the horse in Mexican popular culture, including songs and myths. Today, 7 Leguas Tequila is just as iconic as the famous horse.

Interestingly, Siete Leguas was the original manufacturer of Patrón. When John Paul DeJoria went to Mexico to find a distiller for his new high-end tequila venture, Siete Leguas master distiller Francisco Alcaráz was their contact who helped build the billion dollar brand. Eventually, Patrón outgrew the Siete Leguas distillery and built their own distillery across town. To this day, Atotonilco el Alto is one of the most storied tequila towns because of Siete Leguas and Patrón.

Siete Leguas is one of the best tequila brands to buy in Mexico.

3. Tapatío

NOM 1139 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Region)

Tequila Tapatío is one of the best bottles of tequila that you can bring back from Mexico because of its price, legacy, and delicious taste. It is a bottle that is favored by older tequila drinkers who have not bought anything else in decades.

You could say that the Camarena family makes tequila for their community and that community would be really pissed off if they changed anything. They have been making Tequila Tapatío since 1937 and it doesn’t look like the label has changed much in the last 80 years.

We are going to talk more about the Camarena family, but they were some of the first people to start planting agaves in this part of Jalisco. The elevation is different, the weather is different, and the terroir is different from the volcanic Tequila Valley.

The final product is often times called floral and minerally. This is one of the best bottles of tequila to host a tasting and contrast with a bottle from the Tequila Valley.

A one-liter bottle of 40% ABV Tapatío Tequila blanco costs $600 pesos. That is the best deal on this list.

I served this bottle at my son’s baptism party alongside Cascahuin Blanco and Cascahuin Tahona. My family loved contrasting the highlands vs. the lowlands and many of them couldn’t decide which tequila they liked the most. They said they were all exceptional.

4. Los Abuelos

NOM 1493 Tequila, Jalisco (Los Valles)

Tequila Los Abuelos is the same tequila distillery and the exact same tequila that is sold as Tequila Fortaleza in the United States. Tequila Los Abuelos is just the Mexican branding that can not be sold in the US because of copyright issues.

You are going to hear a lot of people say that Tequila Fortaleza is the best tequila out there, and there is a lot of data to back that up. The Fortaleza distillery is the number 1 rated distillery on Tequila Match Maker, the authority on such matters today.

The owner is the most OG tequila guy on the planet. Guillermo Erickson Sauza helped set in motion the newest wave of artisanal tequila. In the face of corporate tequila and artificial flavorings, he wanted to make the best quality tequila like it was made 100 years ago. He buys the best agaves, everything is stone ground with a tahona, and they take their time to cook, ferment, and distill an amazing beverage.

Guillermo has an interesting story. He comes from a multigenerational tequila family: Los Sauza. His people helped to develop the style of mezcal de Tequila over the course of more than a hundred years. They were a part of the movement to protect the name “Tequila” as it is used for distilled agave spirit with the appellation of origin.

In the 1970s, the Tequila Sauza brand was sold to a foreign company. The Sauza family maintained their lands and got some money but the grandkids no longer had jobs lined up in the family company.

In the 1990s Guillero moved back to Tequila, Jalisco, and started tinkering with the long-abandoned family distillery. He started making tequila that he wanted to drink and it turns out the rest of the world thinks his tequila is pretty good too.

Tequila Fortaleza doesn’t make tequila for other tequila brands or celebrity influencers. They don’t have enough capacity to make all the tequila people want to buy from them. They have four types of tequila (plus a yearly special edition) and they go easy on the oak. No additives or artificial flavors. Just ripe agave and some high-quality oak barrels.

If you really want to learn about excellent tequila it would be a memorable experience to tour the Fortaleza distillery. Tours are open to the public but must be scheduled in advance. Fortaleza is one of the most important names in Tequila making it one of the best tequilas on the market.

5. Calle 23

NOM 1545 San José de Gracia, Jalisco (Los Altos Sur)

Calle 23 is an interesting project that is responsible for one of the most sought-after bottles of tequila in all of Mexico. Sophie Decobecq is a French biochemist with a history of working with fermentation in the Champagne region. She fell in love with Mexico and the agave.

The traditional lineup of blanco, reposado, and añejos is complemented by a criollo that blew the spirit word away in 2021 winning the San Francisco World Spirit Competition. This is a special bottle that you need to buy if you see it in the wild. It is one of the highest-rated bottles of tequila in Mexico and a cult favorite of serious agave nerds.

I highly recommend picking up any bottle of Calle 23 on your next trip to Mexico.

6. Siembra Valles

NOM 1123 El Arenal, Jalisco (Los Valles)

If you are looking for something different, then try the Siembra Valles Ancestral. This particular tequila was recommended to me by Ingrid García, bar manager at palReal Café in Guadalajara. She is an expert in all things agave and LOVES to share her knowledge of the industry. palReal Café has an excellent selection of quality tequilas if you happen to be in Guadalajara.

Siembra Valles is a part of the Siembra Spirits Group and has been a pioneering force in the push for transparency, traceability, and terroir in tequila. Siembra Valles is their expression from the Tequila Valles Region. They also produce Siembra Azul in the Altos Region of Jalisco.

There aren’t a lot of tequila makers using the pit oven cooking style. It is a time-consuming process. The oven needs six hours just to warm up and the agaves cook for five days. The cooked agaves are then crushed with clubs in an incredibly labor-intensive process. This is the epitome of small-batch, artisanal tequila using techniques that are, well, ancestral.

A bottle of the Siembra Valles Ancestral costs MX$2250 at Buho Tequilas.

7. Tequila Arette

NOM 1109 Tequila, Jalisco (Los Valles)

Tequila Arette is another excellent tequila that is made with love by a multi-generational tequila family. The El Llano Distillery is located in one of the oldest sections of Tequila next to the water supply.

Arette is one of the best value high-quality tequilas for sale in Mexico. All of their tequilas are additive-free and made for connoisseurs.

You are going to notice a lot of equestrian imagery on the bottle and at the distillery. Arette is named after a famous horse from the Tequila Valles Region that won several gold medals in the 1948 Olympics in London.

The artisanal suave blanco has been rested in large oak casks for one month. This is an excellent tequila blanco for people who prefer aged tequilas that are looking to try some blanco tequilas. It is a relatively low ABV at 38% and the resting in oak casks imparts little flavor while taking the sharp edge off of the ethanol flavor.

The Tequila Arette distillery is open for tour by appointment only. Reach out to them on the Tequila Arette Facebook Page.

8. G4

NOM 1579 Jesus María, Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)

The G4 tequila is a product of the highly respected Camarena family. G4 is a reference to the four generations of knowledge and experience that goes into making this bottle. This is one of the highest-rated spirits by professional tasters on the contest circuit as well as amateur enthusiasts on Tequila Matchmaker. People love this brand of tequila.

Destileria El Pandillo is located in the municipality of Jesús María, Jalisco which is a few minutes outside of Arandas, a hub of tequila production in Mexico. The Pandillo distillery is a testament to sustainable tequila making using low-energy systems and recycling much of their machinery from the junkyard. The roller mill used to juice the cooked agave was put together from an abandoned steam roller. It functions using a 1-horse power engine.

The Camarena family is one of the most iconic names in tequila because of their legacy but more so because of their vision for the future. Water quality, biodiversity, and sustainability are all a part of the G4 legacy.

The G4 blanco 54% ABV is one of the best deals on this list. Drinking a high-proof tequila is the best way to find flaws in the manufacturing process. You will not find any in this bottle. I bought a bottle for less than MX$500 pesos at Buho Tequilas but I am thinking that was a mistake. It looks to be priced closer to MX$900 pesos everywhere else.

Keep an eye out for G4 blanco lot 12B which is fermented in giant wood vats rather than stainless steel. It has a bright green flavor of herbs and vegetal notes and will fit nicely into any collection.

9. Reserva de los González

NOM 1518 Ayotlán, Jalisco (La Ciénaga)

All of you Don Julio fans out there need to look for some Reserva de los González while in Mexico. While most tequila can be found in the United States for the right price, Reserva de los González has focused mostly on the Mexican market, and I have never seen it in the United States.

10. Tequila Ocho

NOM 1474 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)

Tequila Ocho is one of the best tequilas in relation to price and quality. It is a tequila that is easy to find but still makes tequila nerds happy. The name Tequila Ocho is a reference to the eight kilograms of agaves needed to produce each liter of tequila. They really want to highlight the agaves used in each tequila they make.

The Camarena family has been making tequila since 1937. They and their partners are major landholders and only use agaves from their own estates. Their tequilas are all single-estate. Each bottle names the ranch where the agaves come from. It is important to remember that tequila is an agricultural product. Good agaves make good tequila.

One of the cool initiatives that Tequila Ocho is involved in is the bat-friendly project. In conjunction with UNAM University, tequila makers are working to protect bats, the natural pollinators of agaves.

Most agaves are clones. Allowing an agave to flower means the plant can not be used to make tequila. Tequila Ocho allows at least 5% of its plants to flower thus providing food for the bats and pollination for the agaves.

Too much cloning of plants is bad for genetic diversity. Protecting bats and promoting natural pollination is good for agriculture which is good for tequila. The bats are pretty cute anyways.

Tequila Ocho is a tequila that you can feel good buying. Their entire line of tequilas is excellent but try to get your hands on a bottle of their still-strength, Plata Puntas – 2021 La Ladera. That is a special bottle of tequila.

11. El Mexicano

NOM 1588 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Sur)

Tequila El Mexicano is the brainchild of Willy Bañuelos, grandson of the master distiller Don Félix Bañuelos of Tequila Cazadores.

I have a soft spot for Tequila El Mexicano. Tequila Cazadores was the first tequila that I really got into back before I moved to Mexico and started learning about fine agave spirits. It was the most affordable 100% blue agave spirit that I could find in San Diego and a bottle that I came to love.

Around 2002, Bacardí bought Tequila Cazadores and within a few years the recipe changed. Today, Tequila Cazadores has little resemblance to that old label. If you grew up drinking Tequila Cazadores and still have a lot of nostalgia about an old favorite, try picking up a bottle of Tequila El Mexicano. You won’t be disappointed.

12. El Tesoro

NOM 1139 El Nacimiento de Abajo, Jalisco (Los Altos de Jalisco)

El Tesoro is one of the most iconic brands of tequila that you can find in Mexico. The Camarena Family has been in the business since the early 19th century and spawned one of the most respected distillers in the Highlands of Jalisco and Mexico in general.

Don Felipe Camarena founded the La Alteña Distillery in 1937 and developed some of the tequila brands in Mexico. Tapatío is still produced here, and Tequila 8 was produced here until they opened their new distillery, Destilería Los Alambiques, a short distance away.

13. Siembra Azul Lidia

NOM 1414 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)

Siembra Azul is a treasured brand of tequila by a passionate cultural anthropologist. David Suro just published a book called Agave Spirits: The Past, Present, And Future of Mezcals. He is an icon of the industry and makes very unique agave spirits like few others.

Lidia is a special edition dedicated to David Suro’s mother and biggest supporter. It is a blend of blanco, reposado, and anejo tequila from their favorite lots. The añejo dates back to some of the very first tequila they made at this distillery.

This bottle of tequila is in short supply. Your best bet would be to head over to palReal Café in Guadalajara to taste it and inquire about a bottle.

14. El Tequileño

NOM 1108 Tequila, Jalisco (Los Valles)

Tequila El Tequileño is a direct descendent of José Cuervo. Up until 1959 Don Jorge Salles Cuervo was a contract distiller for the José Cuervo corporation. When Cuervo updated their production facilities and no longer needed contract distillers Don Jorge Salles Cuervo started his own brand that would go on to be a local favorite.

The motto around El Tequileño is “Mexico’s best-kept secret.” This is an iconic brand that is virtually unknown outside of Mexico. My father-in-law loves this brand and even mixes his batangas with a knife just like the recipe calls for.

The name El Tequileño means the man from Tequila. This is a brand that was born in Tequila and pays tribute to the local culture.

The most famous bar in Tequila, La Capilla, has made their signature drink, La Batanga, with El Tequileño since 1961.

One of the most interesting tequilas that El Tequileño makes is a mixto. Most people label mixto tequila as garbage because it ferments more than just agave sugars. Most mixto tequilas use 51% agave sugars and 49% other sugars but El Tequileño uses a ratio of 70% agave sugars to 30% sugarcane sugars. The difference is noticeable. I challenge you to buy a bottle of El Tequileño blanco mixto and tell me it is not an affordable and delicious bottle of tequila.

Recently, El Tequileño opened a boutique hotel in the heart of old town Tequila. They offer excellent tours and have a unique style of tequila making. They use autoclaves, source their agaves from one specific region, and take their time to perfect the craft. This is a tequila for tequila lovers, by tequila lovers.

15. Caballito Cerrero

NOM 1114 (Not Active) Amatitán, Jalisco (Los Valles)

Caballito Cerrero is a well-respected tequila brand that is not currently active in the Consejo Regulador de Tequila (CRT).

The tequila brand dates back to the 1950s, but they stopped using the term ‘tequila’ in 2018 because it was too restrictive for what they wanted to make. While much of their agave spirits use the emblematic Weber blue agave, they also use the Agave Angustifolia agave labeled as ‘chato.’ They also have a few special editions with very high alcohol content (ABV).

Caballito Cerrero was founded by Alfonso Jimenez Rosales of the Rosales wing of the family who owned Tequila Herradura. He left the family business more than half a century before the merger with Brown-Foreman. As Herradura grew into a multinational conglomerate, Caballito Cerrero grew into a cult favorite distilled agave spirit that was unknown outside of Jalisco.

The distillery is located in Amatitán, Jalisco just down the road from Tequila Herradura. The valley above Amatitán is one of the most beautiful places to see the agave landscape in the region.

Many of these bottles are very hard to find outside of Jalisco. Caballito Cerrero Puntas Agave Blanco 69 ABV is a very special bottle that you need to pick up if seen in the wild.

16. LALO

NOM 1468 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Sur)

In Mexico, Lalo is the diminutive or nickname for Eduardo. This Lalo is named for Eduardo González or the grandson of Don Julio González of the famous tequila brand.

These days, Don Julio is owned by Diageo but the González family has continued to craft amazing tequilas that they want to drink.

LALO tequila only makes a blanco because that is what they drink. The original idea was to make a tequila for their friends and family. The result was a massive popularity in Guadalajara and later in the United States.

There are only three ingredients in LALO tequila: agave, water, and yeast. They use a special yeast imported from the Champagne region of France renouned for great fermented beverages.

LALO is an excellent tequila at a perfect price point.

17. Amatiteña

NOM 1477 El Arenal, Jalisco (Los Valles)

18. Atanasio

NOM 1599 Tequila, Jalisco (Los Valles)

19. Fuenteseca

NOM 1146 Tequila, Jalisco (Los Valles)

20. Volans

NOM 1579 Jesús María, Jalisco (Los Altos Sur)

21. Cazcanes

NOM 1614 Amatitán, Jalisco (Los Valles)

22. Pasote

NOM 1584 San Julián, Jalisco (Los Altos Sur)

23. Insólito

NOM 1558 Mazamitla, Jalisco (Sureste)

24. Gran Dovejo

NOM 1414 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Sur)

25. ArteNOM

NOM Various Producers

26. Mijenta

27. Alma del Jaguar

NOM 1414 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Region)

28. El Ateo

NOM 1635 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Region)

29. Don Fulano

NOM 1146 Tequila, Jalisco (Tequila Valles Region)

30. Lost Lore

NOM 1414 Arandas, Jalisco (Los Altos Region)

Tequila Brands To Buy In Mexico FAQ

These are the questions that I see asked in the expat groups all the time.

How much tequila can I bring back from Mexico?

You can bring as much tequila back from Mexico as you are willing to pay taxes on.

Each traveler over the age of 21 is allowed 1 one-liter bottle with no additional taxes. The border guards are not super strict on this. I have brought back 2 750ml bottles of tequila on multiple occasions without having to pay any additional taxes.

Make sure to declare your tequila when crossing the border. I list tequila first when reading my list of things to declare: tequila, coffee, candy, among other things I got in Mexico.

Final Thoughts On The Best Tequilas To Buy In Mexico

I am looking forward to continuing this list as I have the chance to visit more tequila distilleries. There are a plethora of exceptional tequilas available in Mexico that are hard to find in the rest of the world.

Try something new and see if you can visit your favorite tequila distillery while you are in town.

Thanks for reading. See you next time.