Tequila and mezcal threatened by new U.S. category Agave Spirits

222 Producers of mezcal and tequila have protested against the new classification in the U.S. that could undermine their hard work as well as Mexican culture Producers of mezcal and tequila joined to protest against a “usurpation” from the U.S. that implemented a category of drinks called Agave Spirits. In a letter addressed to Graciela Márquez Colín, secretary of Economy of the federal government, the National Association of Designations of Origin (ANDO), headed by Ramón González Figueroa – also president of the Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) – and by the secretary of the association Hipócrates Nolasco Cancino – president of the Mezcal Regulatory Council – asked the Mexican government to take action on the matter, since they asserted that this classification in the U.S. will force any drink in the world that is a distillate of agave to be commercialized in that country under the same category, without any distinction of its origin. The ANDO warned about a possible confusion among consumers of distillates of agave after this new category was implemented in the U.S. to design those drinks produced in that country. He added that places like Spain, Australia, Africa, and others, have already started to produce distillates of agave, “which can confuse the consumers, who can choose other products of agave thinking that they are similar to the ones from Mexico, which is far from true.” To the association, this means an “opportunistic usurpation” at the expense of the work Mexican producers have developed according to their culture and who have been the only ones related to these plants for generations. Source: El Universal