National Tequila Day 2027 is on Saturday

About National Tequila Day

Tequila can only be made in specific parts of Mexico. According to the Tequila Regulatory Council, the protected area covers 181 municipalities in five states: Jalisco, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Nayarit and Tamaulipas. It must be distilled from the fermented juice of cooked blue agave (Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety) and follow Mexico's official tequila standard. Mexico published its declaration of the Tequila Appellation of Origin on December 9, 1974, making tequila the country's first protected designation of origin.

In the United States, National Tequila Day has no documented founder or founding organization and no official status. It grew as a promotional day for bars, restaurants and tequila brands, and July 24 has also long been used as an informal International Tequila Day.

Mexico's own date has changed. A 2018 presidential decree named the third Saturday of March as Mexico's Día Nacional del Tequila. In April 2026 Mexico's Congress approved moving it to July 24 to line up with the customary international date, and a decree signed by President Claudia Sheinbaum was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on May 28, 2026, repealing the March date. The observance is commemorative and is not a public holiday.

Tequila is only for adults of legal drinking age, which is 21 in the United States and 18 in Mexico. If you take part, sip slowly rather than doing shots, never drink and drive, and offer alcohol-free drinks to guests.

Sources: Holland & Knight: Mexico moves National Tequila Day to July 24 (June 2026), Excélsior: Senado aprueba el Día Nacional del Tequila (April 22, 2026), Tequila Regulatory Council: Appellation of Origin, Tequila Regulatory Council: The Appellation of Origin Tequila celebrates its first 50 years. How we check dates.

How to mark National Tequila Day

• Learn the difference between blanco, reposado and añejo tequila, which comes down mainly to how long the spirit rests in wood.
• Read about how blue agave is grown and harvested, and why a plant can take years to be ready for cutting.
• Cook with agave-region flavors, such as a lime and chile marinade for chicken or fish, or make an alcohol-free agua fresca.
• If you're of legal age and drinking, taste a small pour neat next to a glass of water, and arrange a sober ride home.
• Check a bottle's label for the NOM number, which identifies the certified producer that made it.

National Tequila Day dates