the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, summer is just around the corner, and you know what that means—patio season, frozen margaritas, and pretending you’re on a tropical vacation instead of sweating in your backyard. But if you’re a fan of tequila or mezcal, brace yourself: your favorite cocktail might soon cost you more. And worse? It might taste different too.
Why Is Tequila Under Threat?
It’s not because bartenders suddenly developed a grudge against happy hour. No, the culprit here is tariffs—specifically, a potential 25% tariff on all Mexican imports threatened by former President Donald Trump. And since authentic tequila comes only from Mexico (kind of like how real Champagne comes from France, or how New Jersey pizza is objectively superior), this tax could shake up the entire industry.
“It’s going to be a very difficult conversation for us to have with people when they come in,” says Gabe Sanchez, owner of the legendary Black Swan Saloon in Dallas. His customers are used to paying around $15 for a cocktail, but if these tariffs go through? Expect those prices to climb faster than your tolerance after two rounds of mezcal.
Who Pays the Price? (Spoiler: You Do)
Like any good drama, someone in this supply chain has to take the hit. Will it be the importers? The distributors? The bartenders? Nope. Ultimately, it’ll be you—the person just trying to enjoy a well-crafted margarita without refinancing your mortgage.
Sanchez breaks it down with a real-world example:
- Right now, a liter of his go-to mezcal costs about $35.
- If tariffs hit, that price jumps to $42.
- If that happens? “We can’t make it. We can’t put those in cocktails anymore,” Sanchez says.
Translation: If you’re not into $22 mezcal cocktails, you might have to settle for… well, something less mezcal-y.
The Bigger Picture: Jobs, Booze, and Billions
This isn’t just about margaritas (even though that should be reason enough to panic). Tequila and other agave-based spirits make up 13% of the U.S. alcohol market by volume and 22% by revenue. According to a study from the Wine and Spirit Wholesalers of America (WSWA), tariffs could:
- Cost up to 14,000 American jobs
- Slash $2.5 billion from the U.S. economy
- Make even big tequila brands like Don Julio and Casamigos feel the pinch
Even worse? Some small-batch tequila and mezcal producers may just skip the U.S. market altogether, meaning your favorite rare varieties might vanish from menus entirely.
What Can You Do?
Besides hoarding tequila like it’s the new Bitcoin? Well, not much. But in the meantime, you might want to savor every sip of that $15 margarita before it turns into a $25 luxury item.
And if you need a backup plan, Sanchez has your new go-to drink:
True Romance Cocktail Recipe
🟢 1.5 oz mezcal
🟡 0.75 oz yellow Chartreuse
⚫ 0.5 oz Amaro Averna
🍯 A small spoonful of Texas honey
👉 Stir, serve over a big ice cube, and enjoy.
As Sanchez describes it: “A little sweet, a little bitter. It’ll knock your socks off.”
Much like these tariffs might knock affordable tequila off your bar tab.
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