Why ‘Additive-Free’ Tequila Doesn’t Mean What It Used To

Tequila’s been through a lot over the years, rising in the ranks from a mostly salt-and-lime situation to the celebrity-backed darling of the liquor world. The centuries-old agave spirit is now sipped and gifted alongside the best whiskeys and Cognacs. For years, a handful of large-scale players have dominated the market. Yet, over the past couple of decades, countless new brands have entered the field, many trading on now-ubiquitous terms like “100% agave” and “additive-free.” Tequila’s reputation had never been better.

So it hit the tequila world like a tahona to the chest when a federal lawsuit accused certain brands of falsely labeling their products as 100% agave. And it certainly didn’t help that the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) — the tequila industry’s Mexico-based regulatory body — has discouraged brands from using additive-free language in their marketing. 

How tequila is regulated

The CRT allows 100% agave tequilas to use and not disclose additives like glycerin, caramel coloring, oak extract, and sweeteners, as long as they make up less than 1% of a bottle’s total volume. These additives may be used to correct color, flavor, or mouthfeel, and enlisting them is common practice in the industry. 

Using additives doesn’t make a tequila bad, and eschewing additives doesn’t guarantee a good product. The CRT’s chief purpose is to protect tequila’s denomination of origin and to verify agave and tequila producers, not to publicly certify whether a tequila does or does not contain additives. But transparency around additives has been helpful for people who want to factor the presence, or absence, of such ingredients into their purchase decisions. 

“The U.S. is the largest consumer of agave spirits, but so many general consumers are still on the fence about tequila,” says Brandon Cummins, the director of education for Altamar Brands, which includes ElVelo Tequila and the vintage, single-ranch Lágrimas del Valle. “This has done nothing but muddy the waters in a system that’s already wrought with questionable history.”

Why ‘additive-free’ labeling turned controversial

Earlier this year, it was reported that the CRT halted Patrón’s export certificate for four days over the use of additive-free messaging in a new marketing campaign. The CRT’s action against Patrón rippled through the industry and filtered down to smaller players, who feared similar action. 

“We had to destroy 40,000 ElVelo labels and reprint them,” says Cummins, noting the brand also changed retail shelf talkers and marketing materials to remove its “no additives” language.

As consumers become more informed, they can buy spirits based on what’s in the bottle, not just based on packaging and marketing, explains José Valdez, the master tequilero of Tequila Partida. “They can distinguish quality within the product itself, developing an appreciation for tasting tequila rather than just drinking it as a shot or in cocktails.”

That’s a great thing for the category, adds Partida marketing director Gilles Bensabeur, but it’s also created a rush of brands that want to cash in on the additive-free movement. “Unfortunately, some are taking advantage of that buzz without doing the work,” says Bensabeur. “Cutting corners in the name of transparency hurts everyone who’s committed to real, honest production.”

How small tequila brands can provide transparency

Bensabeur believes the entire category stands on shaky ground right now. The responsibility ultimately lies with the CRT to take ownership of additive-free certification — a transparency initiative created by a privately run organization called Agave Matchmaker (formerly Tequila Matchmaker). Instead, he says the CRT has allowed too much leniency in how distilleries and brands interpret and market claims like “additive-free” and “100% agave,” leaving room for abuse.

Regulatory confusion and inconsistencies can impact established and upstart brands alike. These brands now have a choice in how they want to position their products.

“To earn consumer trust amidst industry uncertainty and regulatory pushback, a small brand should prioritize radical transparency and education,” says Laurence Brady, U.S. regional head for Loca Loka. He argues that openly sharing details about sourcing, production processes, and quality standards helps consumers see and understand a brand’s commitment to authenticity, even when specific terms like “additive-free” are restricted. “Ultimately, consumers want to make fully informed decisions about what they drink, so providing that clear lens is the best way to do so.”

Newly launched Laelia Tequila is additive-free, and it follows organic, sustainable, and fair-trade practices, but you wouldn’t know it from the label.

“I never wanted to add more to the label than what was necessary, so you’ll only see the place, the process, and the time it takes,” said Laelia Tequila founder Fernando Pérez Ontiveros, whose family has been growing agave for four generations. “Those aren’t things I’ve ever felt the need to market. For me, it’s about staying true to the craft and letting the liquid speak for itself.”

Whether it’s the liquid or the marketing speaking, smaller brands face an uphill battle to get awareness and shelf space in this crowded tequila landscape. But bartenders and informed consumers are a small brand’s best allies, as they increasingly look for well-made tequilas that honor the land. 

“It can definitely be challenging in terms of competing with sales, but small producers have something the bigger brands often can’t replicate, and that is a real connection to the land, the people, and the tradition behind the spirit,” says Ontiveros.

Cummins notes that the recent lawsuits and regulatory hurdles have increased the visibility of these issues, though mostly within an echo chamber of people who already care about natural, terroir-driven spirits like his. But in some ways, it’s boosted the profile of additive-free tequilas even further. 

As a bartender recently told him: “You know that it’s a big deal when people are coming into Buzzard Beach in Kansas City and asking which tequilas on the back bar are additive-free.”