The NOM Illusion
Part 1: Why the number on the back of your tequila / Mezcal bottle might not mean what you think.
Part 1 of 2
Unmasking the Illusion of Choice in Tequila & Mezcal
Hola Agave Legends,
This one might ruffle some feathers. And that’s okay.
Because if you’re drinking tequila or mezcal in the U.S., chances are high—very high—you’re drinking something made in the same place as dozens (maybe hundreds) of other brands. It may have a new name, a slick bottle, and a heartfelt founder story… but the juice?
It’s probably the same.
Welcome to “white label culture.
📊 4,000 Brands. Just a Few Hundred Distilleries.
There are now over 4,000 brands of agave spirits circulating in the U.S. market. But only a fraction of those are actually backed by a dedicated distillery. The rest? They share infrastructure—and sometimes recipes.
Let’s break it down:
🔍 In Tequila
As of 2024, the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) lists around 150 active certified distilleries. These are the facilities that meet the legal standards set by NOM-006-SCFI-2012 to produce tequila. You can explore the full list (and brand-to-distillery lookups) on CRT’s official site: crt.org.mx
This means:
The same distillery may produce dozens or even hundreds of different brands.
Branding ≠ Production.
NOM ≠ Transparency.
🔍 In Mezcal
According to the National Institute of Anthropology and History, based on data reported by Mexico’s Ministry of the Economy, there are currently 625 certified mezcal production facilities as of late 2024. Most of these (~570) are in Oaxaca, with the rest scattered through nine additional states with Denominación de Origen.
This number only includes palenques or tabernas with active NOM-M codes, issued and verified through COMERCAM or the three newer certifying bodies: OIA, OIMMIM, and OECMM.
You can cross-check the current active list on: comercam-dom.org.mx → Estadísticas → “Informe Estadístico.”
🔐 Want to taste mezcal from a producer who doesn’t just slap on a label—but actually grows the agave?
Try the Sipping Experience Kit → (Password: martini)
🧪 NOM: What It Tells You (And What It Doesn’t)
By law, every bottle of tequila or mezcal must display a NOM number—a four-digit code linked to the certified distillery that made it.
If you see NOM 1438, it means that bottle was produced at one specific distillery. But… so were hundreds of other brands that also say NOM 1438.
It tells you where it was made. Not how it was made. Not who grew the agave. Not whether corners were cut. Just a location.
And yes, it’s the same in Mezcal.
Some NOMs bottle a handful of brands. Others? Over 100.
Transparency? Technically. But not in spirit.
🌿 Agave as a Commodity vs. Agave as a Craft
Let’s get honest. Not all distilleries grow their own agave.
Most buy it. Outsource it. Bargain for kilos. Often immature, rushed-to-market, or overharvested.
Do they ask about the Brix levels (sugar content)? The maturity? The farmers? The land?
Not always. Because the priority isn’t preservation. It’s profit.
That’s why the juice tastes the same. The land was never part of the equation.
🪴 If you believe quality should start in the soil, not the spreadsheet —
Join our membership and support traceable, farm-grown agave spirits.
💼 Outsourced Storytelling, Too
The brand you love? It might’ve never touched the ground it claims to come from.
Some “founders” never met the maestro mezcalero. Some investors never tasted their own juice. Some marketing teams are in New York. The NOM is in México. The agave? Who knows.
And you, the drinker, are left with a story that sounds artisanal, but drinks industrial.
🔍 So What Do We Do With This?
This isn’t about calling out specific brands. It’s about calling in a better way.
We can’t control the system. But we can ask better questions:
Who grew the agave?
How old were the plants?
What was the Brix at harvest?
Was the fermentation wild?
What’s the water source?
How many brands does this NOM bottle?
Because if a distillery makes 100+ brands… are they really preserving culture, or just packaging it?
📬 If You’re Still Reading…
You care. And if you care, you're part of a shift. One where knowledge leads the way.
✅ Grab a bottle.
✅ Join the membership.
✅ Use password: martini
More NOMs, less noise. More questions, better answers. More Legends. Less labels.
Salud from MÉXICO to the World,
Alejandro Sanchez
Founder
La Leyenda | Los Clásicos Nunca Mueren Mezcal
