Tequila is a wide-ranging and diverse spirits category. It serves as the base for myriad cocktails and has even entered the canned RTD sector with offerings like Ranch Water and White Claw Tequila Smash seltzers. But, at its core, tequila is supposed to be alcohol distilled from the blue Weber agave plant. So, how are there so many different types of it lining liquor store shelves? Beyond nuanced differences in terroir and craftsmanship, the key player here is additives.
Many popular tequila brands like Espolòn and Casamigos advertise their product as being made from “100% blue Weber agave,” but this distinction only refers to the base ingredient. “Organic” tequilas can contain additives too. Per the CRT (the Tequila Regulatory Council), in order for a spirit to be legally labeled as tequila, it must be made from agave plants grown in one of five regions in Mexico. Although, also per CRT regulations, a tequila can still be labeled as 100% blue Weber agave if it contains 1% or less of the following four additives (aka abocantes): glycerin, caramel color, oak extract, or jarabe simple syrup.
Additives help ensure a consistent flavor profile from one bottle to the next. Caramel coloring and oak extract are particularly common in aged anejo and reposado tequilas to enhance color and nose, mimicking barrel-aging, but can also be present in blanco tequilas. Most brands clock in at 0.02% or less of these additives by volume, far below the 1% cutoff, but enough to make a strong difference.
Tequila additives promote consistency, but take shortcuts on craftsmanship
Arguably the most unnatural-sounding of the permitted quartet is glycerin, which is used to soften the mouthfeel of tequila, making it smoother, more rounded, and long-lingering on the palette without being abrasive. However, while this non-toxic sweetener takes the bitey edge off the alcohol, glycerin and other added sweeteners can worsen hangovers (so, it might be the glycerin, not the actual tequila to blame for a next-day headache).
Perhaps the biggest sin committed by additives is their perpetuation of unsustainable agricultural practices and unrealistic consumer expectations. Blue Weber agave plants are farmed, and as such, terroir factors like climate, soil, and regional weather conditions changing from year to year all impact the taste of the tequila. Even the geography and elevation of where the agave plant was grown can impact the flavor of the tequila. Consequently, expecting universal consistency from every bottle is itself artificial.
Some tequila manufacturers lean on yeast accelerants, which speed up the fermentation process for producing large volumes of tequila on a commercial scale, but at the cost of quality. Fermentation is typically a multi-day process, and it’s the step during which the aromatic profile of a specific tequila develops. However, with the addition of oak extract and caramel coloring, consumers are far less likely to clock a young batch disguised as a mature one.
How to spot additives in tequila
Since CRT regulations allow tequila with additives to legally be labeled as 100% blue Weber agave tequila, there’s a lack of transparency in spirits shopping that bars consumers from making informed decisions. Luckily, the best way to spot a tequila that contains additives is a good old-fashioned sniff-n-sip test.
If the tequila you’re sipping has overtly pronounced vanilla or caramel-tasting notes, chances are there are additives in the bunch. Vanilla taste often comes from the additive neotame. Pure distilled tequila offers a markedly neutral, grassy flavor. Once aged, the profile becomes richer and cooked-agave forward. If a tequila smells heavily botanical like juniper berry gin, it probably has additives. That cake-batter taste that’s popular in celebrity-promoted tequila brands exploding across the contemporary market is also the product of additives.
Premium tequila brands have confirmed additive-free classification. Popular offerings without additives include Inspiro, Partida, Cazcanes, Patrón, Mijenta, Alma Del Jaguar, Alto Canto, Don Fulano, and more. While they provide consistency and greater control of the flavor profile for distillers, mass-produced additive-containing tequila brands largely erase the cultural tradition of small-batch tequila production in Mexico. On the happy flipside of this drawback, small-batch artisanal tequilas typically follow traditional distillation processes, making them also less likely to contain additives. Admittedly, these small-batch and certified additive-free bottles typically come at a higher price point per bottle, in the $60-120 range. But, when quality counts, you get what you pay for.
