Summer is tequila’s busy season. Sales rise when the weather warms (thanks, margaritas!). The real question is: “which tequila brands did the best this summer?”
Summer is always tequila's busy season but who did it really help this year? To look at who won the summer, we looked at which brands' dollar growth per week was above and beyond the overall category's growth in weekly dollar sales.
Across tracked tequila brands’ retail sales, average weekly sales were 7.8% higher in June, July, and August than in January through May. The brands on this list blew past that baseline.
And each of them also sold more this summer than last summer.
Plus, there are a few brands that either weren’t around or were very small in the summer of 2025, but grew a lot this summer. We call them Emerging brands, and they get their own scorecard.
How We Built This List of Summer’s Leading Tequila Brands
The numbers come from retail sales in 2026 and 2025. We compared two stretches of the year:
January through May (22 weeks)
June through August (13 weeks)
Those periods are different lengths, so comparing total sales would be misleading. We compared average weekly sales instead. That’s the percentage in each table: how much more a brand sold per week this summer than it did per week earlier in the year.
To make the cut, a brand had to have:
At least $15,000 in tracked retail sales from January through May
At least $15,000 in tracked retail sales from June through August
Higher total sales in summer 2026 than in summer 2025
A weekly sales growth rate of at least 7.9%, which is above the total category’s 7.8% average summer sales lift
Every brand on this list grew two ways: against the start of 2026, and against last summer. That last hurdle matters. A brand can have a strong summer and still be shrinking. Casamigos, for example.
Like our other lists, this one screens out mixtos. Every brand here is 100% agave, including the “did you see that?” tequila of the summer, the World Cup soccer ball homage bottle from SCORE.
SCORE Tequila
What the Data Knows, and What It Misses
This list doesn’t represent everything in the world of tequila. This retail scan data captures large retail: the chain grocery, drug, club, and big-format liquor accounts that report their sales. It does not capture independent liquor stores, and it does not capture bars and restaurants.
How the List Is Ranked
The brands are split into three groups. The first two by size, based on retail sales from June through August.
Leading brands are the 18 that sold $1.5 million or more this summer and grew weekly sales at least 12%.
Challenger brands are the 18 that sold less than $1.5 million this summer and grew weekly sales at least 45%.
Emerging brands are the 6 that barely showed up in large retail last summer, selling less than $15,000 from June through August 2025. This year, each cleared $15,000 in both January through May and June through August, and grew weekly sales at least 50%, far above the category’s 7.8% seasonal lift. Some weren’t in these stores at all a year ago. Others have been around but are only now gaining real shelf space.
All groups are ranked by the percentage change in average weekly sales in June, July, and August versus January through May.
Percentages favor smaller brands, which is why the groups are separate. A small brand can double its weekly sales with a modest gain in dollars. A leading brand has to add far more dollars to move the same percentage.
Who Won the Summer
Among leading brands, Tequila Ocho topped the list at 41.9%. Mi Campo, Tres Agaves, El Mágico, LALO, and G4 all topped 30%.
Some of the biggest names in tequila made it too. Cazadores, Lunazul, and Espolòn each sold tens of millions of dollars in tracked stores this summer and still grew weekly sales by double digits.
Among challengers, 4 Copas led at 243.3%. Milagro and Peligroso were next at 194.9% and 138.8%. Lost Lore, Cascahuín, Paladar, and La Pulga each grew weekly sales more than 50%.
Among emerging brands, Tepozán led at 316.5%, followed by Señora Leona at 242.9%. SCORE was third at 180.7%, and with $5.6 million in summer sales, it was far bigger than any other brand in the group. World Cup bottle, for the win!
Summer lifts nearly every tequila brand a little. These 42 rose far more than the season alone explains.
Which of these brands have you tried and enjoyed? Drop a comment, or weigh in on our Instagram post.
Leading Brands ($1.5M+ in Summer 2026 Sales)
Rank | Brand | Weekly Sales Change |
|---|---|---|
1 | +41.9% | |
2 | +38.3% | |
3 | +34.6% | |
4 | +32.4% | |
5 | +31.3% | |
6 | +30.5% | |
7 | +24.7% | |
8 | +24.1% | |
9 | +21.6% | |
10 | +21.5% | |
11 | +21.5% | |
12 | +20.8% | |
13 | +20.1% | |
14 | +20.0% | |
15 | +19.9% | |
16 | +16.5% | |
17 | +14.3% | |
18 | +13.8% |
Challenger Brands (Less Than $1.5M in Summer 2026 Sales)
Rank | Brand | Weekly Sales Change |
|---|---|---|
1 | +243.3% | |
2 | +194.9% | |
3 | Peligroso | +138.8% |
4 | +122.7% | |
5 | +113.7% | |
6 | El Destilador | +82.6% |
7 | +79.4% | |
8 | Gema | +70.2% |
9 | +63.0% | |
10 | +59.8% | |
11 | +58.8% | |
12 | +56.0% | |
13 | +54.3% | |
14 | +52.1% | |
15 | Grand Love | +49.2% |
16 | +48.9% | |
17 | +48.1% | |
18 | +46.9% |
Emerging Brands (Under $15K in Summer 2025 Sales)
Rank | Brand | Weekly Sales Change |
|---|---|---|
1 | +316.5% | |
2 | +242.9% | |
3 | +180.7% | |
4 | +135.0% | |
5 | +65.4% | |
6 | +58.4% |
Tequila Ocho, G4, Cazcanes, 4 Copas, Paladar, La Pulga, Authentico, Zumbador, and Cambio are partners of The Tequila Report.
About the Author
Dave Wiley is the head of Data and Analysis for The Tequila Report.
He is also the founder of Crafted Proof, a marketing and sales intelligence practice for beverage and alcohol brands. He work with founders and small commercial teams who need the analytics, buyer assets, and marketing horsepower of a much larger company without carrying it as headcount.
Previously, Wiley served as in sales and marketing leadership positions at La Pulga Spirits, Anheuser-Busch, SC Johnson, and The Nielsen Company.
You can find him on LinkedIn
