Oregon’s Agave Boom: What the Data Shows

liquorlocator on November 25, 2025

Tequila and mezcal have taken over. Not just in bars or cocktail menus—in actual consumer behavior. Google search data, liquor store inventory, and Oregon-specific trends all point to the same story: agave spirits are the growth category, and it’s not even close.

Here’s what’s happening and why.

Data from publicly available OLCC inventory and Google Trends. LiquorMapper is not affiliated with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission.

The Inventory Numbers

Oregon liquor stores now stock over 50,800 tequila products statewide—up from 37,285 in July 2022. That’s 36% growth in just over three years.

Mezcal is growing even faster, up 39% to over 4,100 products. What was a niche category available mostly in Portland’s cocktail bars is now stocked in stores across the state.

For context: bourbon peaked around 2021 and has since seen declining search interest—down roughly 70% from that high. Tequila searches have gone the opposite direction, up over 200% since 2019.

The spirits market is shifting, and Oregon is shifting with it.

What Oregonians Are Actually Searching

Google Trends data shows exactly what’s driving interest.

The most consistent high-volume tequila searches in Oregon are practical ones: “best tequila,” “tequila reposado,” “tequila drinks,” and brand-specific searches for Clase Azul and Don Julio.

Notably, Oregon searches skew toward value. Terms like “affordable tequila” and “budget tequila” outpace “premium” or “expensive” searches. Consumers want quality at reasonable prices—which explains the popularity of brands like Espolòn, Olmeca Altos, and El Jimador.

Celebrity Brands Drive Awareness

Whether you think celebrity tequilas are gimmicks or legitimate products, they’re undeniably driving search traffic.

Oregon searches for Lalo Tequila exploded—up over 34,000% in relative search interest. 818 (Kendall Jenner’s brand) saw similar growth. Mijenta spiked as well.

Teremana (Dwayne Johnson) and Casamigos (George Clooney, originally) maintain steady high interest.

The celebrity attention brought tequila into mainstream conversation for consumers who weren’t previously category shoppers. Some of those consumers stuck around and started exploring.

Cocktails Driving the Category

Oregon’s cocktail searches reveal which drinks are pulling consumers toward agave spirits.

The paloma leads Oregon tequila cocktail searches—grapefruit, tequila, lime, simple execution. It’s displaced the margarita as the “sophisticated” tequila drink for home bartenders who want something refreshing without being cloying.

Margarita searches remain strong and still growing (up 9%). The classic isn’t going anywhere.

Michelada searches have spiked nearly 200%—the Mexican beer cocktail often paired with tequila on the side.

This cocktail interest creates product demand. People searching “paloma recipe” need blanco tequila. People searching “sipping tequila” want añejo or extra añejo. The drinks drive the bottles.

Why Oregon Specifically

Several factors make Oregon particularly receptive to the agave boom.

Portland’s cocktail culture helped. Bartenders here pushed beyond margaritas years ago, exploring palomas, tequila old fashioneds, mezcal-based drinks, and spirit-forward agave cocktails. Consumer tastes followed.

Oregon’s wine culture created appreciation for terroir—the idea that where something grows matters to how it tastes. Tequila and mezcal, with their designated regions and agave varieties, appeal to that sensibility.

The outdoor lifestyle helps too. Tequila-based drinks pair well with warm weather, outdoor gatherings, and casual occasions. Oregon has plenty of those.

And the quality improvement at accessible prices matters. Good tequila used to mean expensive tequila. Now bottles like Ocho, Tapatio, and G4 offer craft quality at reasonable prices.

Where to Shop

For the best agave selection in Oregon:

Bend leads statewide. 3rd Street Beverage carries 523 different tequilas and mezcals—the most in Oregon. Bend South adds another 377.

Portland’s best are Sip City Spirits (452 products), Hollywood Beverage (424), and 11th Avenue Liquor (369, but with Oregon’s best mezcal selection at 106 expressions).

Salem’s Lancaster Liquor carries 344 agave spirits—solid depth for the capital region.

Finding Specific Bottles

Search for tequila and mezcal at LiquorMapper. Some commonly-searched bottles:

The Takeaway

The data is clear: Oregon’s drinking preferences have shifted. Bourbon peaked. Tequila and mezcal are growing. Search interest, store inventory, and cocktail trends all confirm the same pattern.

For consumers, this means better selection than ever. Stores are stocking deeper agave inventories, celebrity brands are driving awareness that expands the category, and quality options exist at every price point.

The agave boom is real, and Oregon is participating fully.

Inventory data from Oregon OLCC comparing July 2022 to November 2025. Google Trends data reflects Oregon-specific search interest from 2019-2025. Product counts include all tequila and mezcal expressions across all bottle sizes.