Corralejo tequila blanco bottle label showing 100% de agave and blanco category text
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Labels · 5 min read

Agave spirit labels

100% de agave vs mixto, CRT aging tiers, NOM traceability, and mezcal categories — what Mexican law allows on the label and what Margaritas need.

The big idea

Tequila and mezcal labels are Mexican law in miniature — 100% agave, NOM, and CRT aging words decide whether your Margarita tastes bright or flat.

5 things to remember

  1. 100% de agave = all fermentable sugar from agave; mixto allows up to 49% other sugars.

  2. CRT aging: blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo — oak time with legal minimums.

  3. NOM identifies the permitted producer — useful traceability, not a quality score.

  4. Tequila is blue Weber agave in defined states; mezcal is broader agave and process.

  5. Hecho en México and denomination lines are geography law, not souvenir copy.

The four lines that matter most

Four lines that decide your Margarita

100% de agave

All fermentable sugar from agave — skip mixto for cocktails

NOM

Norma Oficial Mexicana ID — trace the distillery on the label

Blanco / reposado / añejo

CRT aging tiers — oak time, not just color

Hecho en México

Denomination of origin — tequila & mezcal geography rules

1) “100% de agave” (tequila) or joven/espadín class (mezcal). 2) CRT category — blanco, reposado, añejo, extra añejo. 3) NOM #### (Norma Oficial Mexicana producer ID). 4) Hecho en México / denominación de origen.

Skip front-label medals until those four check out for cocktail bases.

100% agave vs mixto

  • Mixto tequila needs only 51% agave sugars; the rest can be cane or other sugars.
  • It often tastes sweeter, thinner, and harsher in a lime-heavy sour.
  • 100% de agave must be labeled clearly.
  • If the bottle only says “tequila” without 100%, assume mixto unless the back label proves otherwise.

CRT aging categories (tequila)

Oak time changes what the bottle can do

Blanco

< 2 mo

Reposado

2–12 mo

Añejo

1–3 yr

Extra

3+ yr

Blanco: unaged or <2 months rest. Reposado: 2 months–1 year in oak. Añejo: 1–3 years. Extra añejo: >3 years. Oak adds vanilla and roundness — it also mutes fresh agave snap.

Margaritas and Palomas want blanco or restrained reposado. Añejo tequila in a sour is an Old Fashioned mindset — less lime sweetness, more spirit-forward balance.

Mezcal labels — species and process

Mezcal labels may list agave species (Espadín, Tobalá, etc.) and production (ancestral, artesanal, mezcal). Pit-roasted agave brings smoke phenols — not every mezcal is heavily peated in style, but tradition leans smoky.

Espadín is the volume workhorse for cocktails. Wild or single-village agaves can be stunning neat and loud in equal-parts drinks.

NOM and additive transparency

NOM ties a bottle to a permitted distillery — helpful when you find a house style you trust. It is not a rating.

Some tequilas use permitted additives (abocantes) for smoothness or flavor. If a blanco tastes like vanilla candy or perfume, suspect additives before blaming your lime. Additive-free or traditionally made bottlings often shine in Tommy’s-style specs.

In the glass

Practice these

Read the drill, then make the drink once focusing on that cue — repetition beats another paragraph.

A chilled coupe of Margarita with a half-salt rim and a lime wheel garnish on the edge of the glass.

Tequila

Margarita

100% de agave blanco, fresh lime. If the label skips “100%” or hides mixto in small type, the sour will taste flat before the salt rim matters.

A tall highball of Paloma with a salted rim and grapefruit wedge.

Tequila

Paloma

Blanco still fits highballs. Loud mezcal labels (esp. pechuga or wild agave) can dominate grapefruit — read intensity, not just ABV.

Mezcal Margarita in a rocks glass over ice, pale, lime wheel, optional salt rim.NEW

Mezcal

Mezcal Margarita

Espadín on the label is the cocktail workhorse. If smoke buries lime, split with blanco tequila rather than fighting with more citrus.

Part of a path

Spirit labels decoded

Learn which words on a bottle are law vs marketing — then read American whiskey, agave, and Scotch labels like a bartender shopping for Manhattans and Margaritas.

View path →Restart from step 1
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