Top 10 biggest-selling Tequila Brand Champions
Tequila might be the sole spirit category in growth in the US last year but only three of the biggest players managed to post an increase.
The Tequila category has never been more competitive as new players swoop in, plus the sector is seeing a swathe of pricing challenges and feeling the threat of incoming US tariffs.
However, it was one of two spirits categories (alongside RTDs) to show growth in the States in 2024, according to data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the US. Tequila and mezcal grew by 2.9% to US$6.7 billion in the US last year, while volumes rose by 2% to 32.3 million cases.
Looking across the category’s top 10 biggest-selling brands from this year’s The Brand Champions report, only three were in growth in 2024 – a stark contrast to the previous year. This is perhaps indicative of a slowing of growth for a category that has matured, alongside competition from other segments and macroeconomic challenges that have hit the wider alcohol sector.
For a closer look at how the biggest players performed last year, scroll down for an analysis of their case sales.
The data is listed to one decimal place for ease of reading, but the percentage changes were calculated on the full data supplied. All data is recorded in millions of nine-litre cases.
10. El Jimador
Owner: Brown-Forman
Volume: 2020: 1.3m | 2021: 1.4m | 2022: 1.7m | 2023: 1.6m | 2024: 1.3m
% change: -14.2%
Place last year: 9
Brown-Forman’s El Jimador brand continued its downward trajectory, posting a double-digit drop to 1.3m cases in 2024.
In its financial results for the nine months to 31 January 2025, Brown-Forman noted sales of its Tequila portfolio (which includes Herradura) was hit by a ‘competitive’ US market and ‘challenging macroeconomic conditions’ in Mexico. During this period, El Jimador Tequila’s sales were down by 11% due to lower volumes in the US and Mexico, which were offset by higher prices in the States.
The group’s CEO recently noted the prospect of growing the category outside of its two key markets.
9. Lunazul Tequila
Owner: Heaven Hill Brands
Volume: 2020: 0.4m| 2021: 0.6m | 2022: 0.9m | 2023: 1.3m | 2024: 1.7m
% change: 37.0%
Place last year: N/A
A relative newcomer to The Brand Champions, Heaven Hill-owned Lunazul experienced the largest percentage increase of the category’s million-case brands with a rise of 37% in 2024. This increase placed the brand into the top 10 Tequila list for the first time, surpassing brands such as Altos and El Jimador.
Last year, Lunazul launched a new advertising campaign, called Look to Luna, featuring significant spend behind television advertising and social media. The campaign is likely to have boosted visibility of the brand.
8. Hornitos
Owner: Suntory Global Spirits
Volume: 2020: 1.6m | 2021: 1.9m | 2022: 2.1m | 2023: 1.9m | 2024: 1.8m
% change: -8.9%
Place last year: 7
Suntory’s Hornitos brand, like many other Tequilas, had enjoyed strong growth up until 2023 when it recorded a decrease to 1.9m cases. This fall continued last year with the brand declining by 8.9% to 1.8m cases, resulting in it moving down one place to the seventh spot on our top-selling list.
There has been little activity from Hornitos in the past year, but Suntory confirmed there would be an increased focus on the brand in the second half of 2025.
7. Espolòn
Owner: Campari Group
Volume: 2020: 0.9m | 2021: 1.1m | 2022: 1.3m | 2023: 1.6m | 2024: 1.8m
% change: 14.6%
Place last year: 8
Espolòn experienced its fifth year of growth in 2024, posting an increase of 14.6% to 1.8m cases. It was one of only three brands in the top-selling list to see double-digit growth.
Campari Group noted in its full-year results for 2024 that Espolòn’s 14% increase was driven by the US.
In 2024, the brand unveiled a limited edition reposado infused with natural marigold flower extract.
6. Gran Centenario
Owner: Proximo Spirits
Volume: 2020: 1.3m | 2021: 1.7m | 2022: 2.0m | 2023: 1.9m | 2024: 1.8m
% change: -5.5%
Place last year: 6
Gran Centenario maintained its sixth spot on the best-selling list with case sales of 1.8m in 2024, however it was its second year in decline.
Last year saw the brand launch its limited edition Gallardo Tequila to honour one of the founding fathers of Tequila. It also became the first Tequila partner of the 2024 Copa América football championship.
5. Casamigos
Owner: Diageo
Volume: 2020: 1.1m | 2021: 2.2m | 2022: 3.2m | 2023: 3.0m | 2024: 2.4m
% change: -20.7%
Place last year: 4
A former Supreme Brand Champion, George Clooney-founded Casamigos is a long way from the sales success it saw in 2021 when its volume doubled to 2.2m cases. In fact, the brand is almost back at its 2021 level. It suffered the greatest percentage drop among the top 10 with sales plunging by 20.7% to 2.4m cases.
Diageo CEO Debra Crew noted in a financial briefing that Casamigos saw an “incredible uptick in growth for several years” during a period she called the “Covid super-cycle time”. However, growth has slowed in recent years as the company struggled to keep up with supply.
Crew described Casamigos as “still a young brand” with “lower consumer awareness”.
The brand’s fortunes could be set to return as Casamigos has moved into “Diageo-dedicated divisions within our distributors”, Crew noted. The brand also unveiled a new global creative campaign this year.
4. 1800 Tequila
Owner: Proximo Spirits
Volume: 2020: 1.9m | 2021: 2.1m | 2022: 2.5m | 2023: 2.9m | 2024: 2.8m
% change: -1.2%
Place last year: 5
While it posted a slight dip of 1.2% last year, Tequila brand 1800 has managed to take back its fourth position from Casamigos after four years.
Last year, the brand tapped former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Carmelo Anthony to front its festive campaign. The brand also released its ‘luxury’ añejo Tequila, GuachiMonton, in the US in 2024, before bringing it to the UK earlier this year.
3. Patrón
Owner: Bacardi
Volume: 2020: 3.1m | 2021: 3.2m | 2022: 3.5m | 2023: 3.2m | 2024: 2.8m
% change: -11.8%
Place last year: 3
Bacardi-owned Patrón suffered its second year in decline, falling by 11.8% to 2.8m cases – its lowest sales in at least five years.
The brand has only just maintained its third place spot with it being neck and neck with 1800 Tequila. As its parent company is privately owned, financial data is unavailable, making it hard to pinpoint exactly why the brand is facing a major decline.
However, Bacardi is continuing to invest in its agave portfolio, placing its bets on the Paloma cocktail as the “next drink that people are really interested in”.
In February this year, the brand also unveiled an additive-free campaign in the US, which provoked the category’s regulatory body to temporarily ban exports.
2. Don Julio
Owner: Diageo
Volume: 2020: 1.8m | 2021: 2.7m | 2022: 3.2m | 2023: 3.4m | 2024: 4.4m
% change: 28.2%
Place last year: 2
This year’s Tequila Brand Champion, Diageo-owned Don Julio, passed the four-million-case-sales mark for the first time last year. The brand’s sales sit at 4.4m cases after a 28.2% rise in 2024. It has been growing steadily every year since 2016.
Key to its success has been the popularity of limited edition bottle designs in the US, including the Don Julio 70 Cristalino Artist Edition created in collaboration with Mexican designer Willy Chavarria. The brand has also seen a boost during key cultural moments such as the Baftas, Super Bowl and the Oscars.
1. Jose Cuervo
Owner: Proximo Spirits
Volume: 2020: 7.3m | 2021: 7.9m | 2022: 9.2m | 2023: 9.5m | 2024: 8.9m
% change: -6.4%
Place last year: 1
Last year’s Supreme Brand Champion, Jose Cuervo, remains by far the category leader but its sales took a hit in 2024.
The brand recorded a 6.4% drop to 8.9m cases.
During its 2024 full-year financial results, Cuervo’s parent company noted its Tequila portfolio performed ‘strongly’ in North America. However, Jose Cuervo’s performance was affected by ‘distributor-level destocking efforts and increased promotional activity from lower-end brands’.
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