An IWSR report details how tequila has joined the growing pink drinks trend, as brands look to stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Tequila continues to record strong growth, with a volume increase of 17 per cent in 2021, and a predicted volume CAGR of seven per cent between 2021 and 2026.
Likewise, the pink drinks trend has also flourished in recent years, with pink gin hitting a volume increase of 16 per cent in 2021. IWSR expects the category to enjoy a CAGR of four per cent until 2026, and has also seen movement in the coloured-vodka category.
IWSR draws as connection between the growth of these categories, and the on-going rise in popularity of rosé wine, saying: ‘rosé’s increasing popularity was associated with millennials as well as the perceived approachability of the style.’
Tequila in the pink
While pink gins often take their colour from berry maceration, Tequila brands are following a different route to achieve a rosy hue: the use of red wine barrels.
Perhaps more in keeping with the spirit’s traditional character, the maturation in wine barrels provides the spirit not only with colour, but with flavour too. As IWSR outlines, it also opens up avenues for collaboration between the two categories of wine and tequila, with several brands working together on releases.
‘A number of producers have made use of specific red wine barrels, such as the ones sourced from Napa for Código’s 1530 Rosa-Reposado, or the Mexican cabernet sauvignon barrels for Ana María Tequila Rosa,’ IWSR’s report reads.
‘The first in the industry to make use of former rosé barrels is Inspiro Tequila, to produce its Rosa Reposado.’
According to IWSR, Inspiro Founder Mara Smith worked with Ana Maria Romereo Mena, a Maestra Tequilera, ‘aiming to help women feel more seen and relevant in the spirits industry by having them involved in every step of the process.’
Nevertheless, cask aging or finishing is not the only option open to tequila producers, as IWSR outlines. One brand, Casa Rica, produces a red dye from the colour of mature agave plants, which it then uses to tint its spirit, while another, The Butterfly Cannon, infuses its Rosa Tequila with carmine and pink grapefruit.
As the tequila category and the pink drink trend both continue to gain momentum, Australian retailers, on-premise operators and consumers can only expect to see further innovation in this space.