The Liquid
Confirm the category, class, agave percentage, ABV, flavour profile and whether the commercial supply will match the approved sample.
SPECIFICATION BEFORE PRICEBUYING BETTER
CHOOSING A
BULK TEQUILA
SUPPLIER.
The questions to ask before you compare samples, quotes and supply routes.
THE USEFUL ANSWER
Do not choose on price per litre alone.
The right supplier must make the liquid, compliance, logistics and production route work together.
QUICK ANSWER
BUY THEFULL ROUTE.
A bulk tequila quote is only useful when it covers the right liquid, from the right producer, through a compliant route, at a volume and lead time your product can support.
The cheapest sample or headline litre price can become expensive if the specification changes, paperwork is incomplete, freight is unclear or the tequila does not perform in the finished recipe.
THE SIX THINGS THAT MATTER
HOW TO
COMPARE SUPPLIERS.
Compare every supplier on the same complete brief. Otherwise the quotes may describe different products and different levels of service.
The Producer
Understand who makes the tequila, where it is produced and whether the producer can support the required certification and export route.
KNOW THE SOURCECompliance Support
Check who coordinates the CRT route, brand information, labels, export documentation and any UK production requirements.
NO GAPS BETWEEN PARTIESCommercial Terms
Compare minimum order, price basis, currency, payment terms, Incoterms, freight assumptions and what is excluded.
COMPARE LIKE FOR LIKELead Time and Scale
Make sure the route works for the first order and can still support repeat production as the brand grows.
PLAN PAST THE FIRST BATCHApproved Site Delivery
Confirm customs, excise, duty status and project-specific delivery from Mexico to the named bottler or manufacturer approved for the relevant CRT route.
APPROVED DESTINATION MEANS APPROVED DESTINATIONBEFORE YOU COMMIT
USE SAMPLES
PROPERLY.
A sample should help you make a production decision, not simply prove that a liquid exists. Test it against the real product and the real commercial brief.
Confirm identity
Know which producer, category, class and agave specification the sample represents.
Test the recipe
Evaluate it at the finished ABV with the intended citrus, sweetness, flavour, carbonation or cream.
Compare routes
For an RTD, compare a strong 51% agave mixto with higher agave options where useful.
Check repeatability
Ask how the commercial batch will be matched to the sample and controlled over time.
Record the decision
Keep a clear approved specification so the supplier, producer and manufacturer are working to the same target.
ASK BEFORE YOU ORDER
THE QUESTIONS
THAT REVEAL THE MOST.
A strong supplier should be able to answer these directly, or explain clearly which project partner is responsible.
What exactly is the tequila?
Ask for the category, class, agave percentage, ABV, producer and commercial specification in writing.
Can it legally follow our route?
Confirm whether it can be exported for the named brand or product, received by the named approved UK site and labelled as planned.
What does the quote include?
Clarify liquid, packaging, transport in Mexico, ocean freight, insurance, customs, duty and delivery to the named approved UK destination.
Who owns each next step?
There should be no ambiguity around samples, CRT work, labels, export paperwork, customs, excise and delivery.
UNDERSTANDING THE QUOTE
PRICE PER LITRE
IS NOT THE COST.
The useful number is the cost of getting the approved tequila to the point where your production partner can use it.
Liquid Price
The tequila itself, based on the agreed specification, quantity, alcohol strength, currency and price basis.
Freight and Handling
Transport in Mexico, export handling, bulk container or packaging, shipping, insurance and delivery to the approved UK destination.
Customs and Excise
Import declarations, customs charges, Alcohol Duty and any approved-site excise movements created by the selected route.
Compliance and Delay Risk
Reworked labels, missing approvals, unsuitable liquid or a failed shipment can outweigh a small saving on the headline quote.
BUYER BEWARE
THREE RED FLAGS.
100% agave offered for UK bulk bottling
Tequila sold as 100% agave must be bottled at origin in Mexico. A claimed UK bulk route should be challenged immediately.
A price with no clear specification
If the agave percentage, class, producer, ABV or delivery basis is vague, the price cannot be compared properly.
Bulk tequila offered from general UK stock
An approved bottler must use the tequila supplied for its named brand or product route. It must not be resold or transferred onwards in bulk to another bottler.
OUR RECOMMENDATION
CHOOSE CLARITY
OVER A CHEAP QUOTE.
The best supplier gives you a clear liquid specification, a workable compliance route, realistic landed costs and confidence that the tequila can arrive when production needs it.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROJECT
Bulk transfer restriction: CRT model co-responsibility agreements require the approved bottler or manufacturer to use the tequila supplied for its named brand or product route and prohibit onward transfer or commercialisation to third parties in bulk. Confirm the exact agreement and approvals for every project with the authorised producer and CRT.
LOOKING FOR A
BULK TEQUILA SUPPLIER?
Tell us what you are making, the expected volume and where it needs to be produced.