Mezcal sales growing at 22%

Mezcal sales value is growing at 22% and now amounts to $88m a year, according to the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal.

The agave spirit sold 231,000 9-litre cases in 2014, with an average bottle price in the Mexican market of $20.64 and an export bottle average of $38.

Meanwhile mezcal brands increased 48% between 2011 and 2014 to 362, with export brands now numbering 116.

The CRM told DI it seeks to not only “lead the organization of the industry, the promotion and the education of the category for the correct identification of its appellation of origin, but also encourages and trains communities to develop their products and bring them to the international markets”.

The CRM spokesperson added: “For the world, mezcal is it just a Mexican spirit. For us it has become the engine of economic development for the traditional communities, in contrast to their marginalisation.”

The CRM is focusing its efforts on key cities including: Los Angeles, New York, Sydney, London, Berlin and Singapore.

For more insight on mezcal read DI's Mezcal report: Freeing the Spirit.