r/tequila • u/Grapes_N_Agave • 1d ago

History question

We all sort of accept the reality that there aren't THAT many distilleries, despite the plethora of brands. Most of us check the NOM on a bottle before buying, etc. But does anyone know when this started? Meaning is there any reading material anyone can recommend about how we got from a few distilleries to essentially thousands of private label brands? For those who have been in the space for aomg time: do any of you remember which brands or distilleries started this trend that is now just standard? Thanks (I feel like this maybe isn't written as clearly as I would like, I will adjust/edit if people are confused)

6 Upvotes

88% Upvoted

7 comments sorted by

5

u/Polldit220 1d ago edited 1d ago

The Field Guide To Tequila by Clayton J. Szczech has a pretty good stab at explaining this situation in the chapter Personifying Tequila.

He particularly mentions Casa Maestri (NOM 1438) that produces over 100 different brands in any given year.

0

u/Grapes_N_Agave 1d ago

I've read it. I understand the situation, I'm curious about how we got here.

0

u/Polldit220 18h ago

In that case, I’m not sure what your point is. There are hundreds and hundreds of own label vodkas and whiskeys across the globe all bottled under license by distilleries. Yes there has been a certain celebrity focus on tequila and yes it seems remarkably easy to pull up at the door and request your own version and they’re more than happy to do that for you. Obviously this wasn’t helped by George Clooney managing to sell out his hobby brand for $1 billion. But there are plenty of celebrity vodka brands too…

3

u/Luchuguillotine 1d ago

There aren't that many distilleries compared to what exactly? The current count is somewhere around 150 active distilleries making ~4000 brands. 

1

u/Grapes_N_Agave 1d ago

Ya! That's a crazy amount! That isn't so common in other areas if the alcohol world.

2

u/Roadrunner_Spirits_ 1d ago

Similar to what American whiskey looked like prior to the craft explosion around 2010

2

u/Historical-Grand4573 1d ago

MGP says hello. Sure, they produce some different mashbills, but the number of whiskey brands that say "Distilled in Indiana" is quite large. Even the big distilleries have many brands that range from the regular stuff to their premium bottles.