National Tequila Day: Date and How to Celebrate
National Tequila Day is a yearly celebration of tequila, the agave spirit from western Mexico. In the United States it falls on July 24 every year.
The date is fixed, so it lands on a different weekday each year. In 2026 it fell on a Friday. Mexico now marks its own national tequila day on July 24 too, after its Senate moved the date in 2026.
This guide covers the date, the history on both sides of the border and simple ways to celebrate. That includes a tasting flight, cocktails to make and food to eat with them. In Breckenridge, the easiest way is to pull up a stool at the tequila bar at Mi Casa and order a flight.
When Is National Tequila Day?
National Tequila Day is July 24. It does not move to a weekend or a set weekday.
- 2026: July 24 (day of the week: Friday)
- 2027: July 24 (day of the week: Saturday)
- 2028: July 24 (day of the week: Monday)
The day is not a federal holiday in the US, and businesses stay open. It is an observance that bars, restaurants and tequila brands celebrate with tastings and specials.
History of National Tequila Day
The holiday has two histories, one in the United States and one in Mexico. Since 2026 they share the same date.
The US Holiday on July 24
The US origin is murky, and no single founder is on record. One account traces the day to members of the Beta Beta Beta fraternity at Utah State University. They held a "National Tequila Day" on November 16, 1974, during a football game against the University of Utah.
In 1979, a letter to The Utah Statesman called it "the only national holiday native to Utah." Over time the celebration settled on July 24, and brands, bars and restaurants adopted the date. No official body declared it.
Mexico's Día Nacional del Tequila
Mexico first set an official national tequila day in 2018, on the third Saturday of March. The decree creating it was published on May 29, 2018.
In February 2024, Mexico's Chamber of Deputies approved moving the day to July 24. The Senate then approved the change unanimously, 92 votes to none, in April 2026. The new measure repealed the 2018 decree. By July 2026, Mexico was celebrating on July 24, the same date as the US holiday.
National Tequila Day vs Other Agave Holidays
Tequila has company on the drinks calendar. The two dates people mix up most are these.
- National Tequila Day (US): July 24 (what it celebrates: Tequila in all its styles)
- Día Nacional del Tequila (Mexico): July 24, since 2026 (what it celebrates: Tequila as a national symbol)
- National Margarita Day (US): February 22 (what it celebrates: The margarita cocktail)
National Margarita Day in February honors one cocktail. National Tequila Day honors the spirit itself, whether it is sipped neat, mixed in a highball or shaken with lime.
Why Tequila Gets Its Own Day
Tequila is a distilled spirit made from blue agave, Agave tequilana Weber, blue variety. It is named after the town of Tequila, about 65 km (40 miles) northwest of Guadalajara in Jalisco.
Mexico protects the name by law. Tequila became Mexico's first appellation of origin in 1974. Today it may only be made in 181 municipalities across five states: Jalisco, Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.
The agave fields around the town are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, named in 2006. A day for tequila celebrates that farming landscape as much as the drink.
How to Celebrate National Tequila Day
Pick one or two of these ideas. Each works at home or out on the town.
Hold a Tequila Tasting at Home
Buy three bottles from the same brand: a blanco, a reposado and an añejo. Pour a small measure of each into separate glasses and taste from youngest to oldest.
You will taste how oak changes the spirit, from bright agave to vanilla and wood. For what each label means, read up on tequila's aging classes before you shop.
Mix a Tequila Cocktail
Tequila is easy to mix. A paloma needs only tequila, lime and grapefruit soda. A margarita needs tequila, orange liqueur and lime.
Follow a fresh-lime margarita recipe for the classic. For simple two- and three-ingredient drinks, see the list of easy tequila highballs.
Cook a Mexican Dinner to Match
Tequila belongs at the table. Bright blanco cocktails suit pineapple-topped tacos al pastor and other spicy, citrusy food.
Start the night with a bowl of fresh guacamole and chips. Then serve tacos or grilled meat with the aged tequila.
Visit a Tequila Bar
A good tequila bar lets you try bottles you would never buy whole. Ask for a flight of one brand in three ages, or compare two blancos side by side.
July 24 also falls in peak summer season in the mountains. If you are visiting, pair a tasting with a summer day out in Breckenridge.
Learn How Tequila Is Made
Spend part of the day on the story. Blue agave grows for years before harvest. Workers called jimadores cut away the leaves to reach the heart, or piña.
The piñas are cooked, crushed, fermented and distilled at least twice. The process from field to finished product can take five to eight years.
A Simple Tequila Tasting Flight
Use this order for a home tasting. Keep pours small and serve water between glasses.
- 1: Blanco (aging rule: Unaged, or under 2 months; what to look for: Cooked agave, citrus, pepper)
- 2: Reposado (aging rule: 2 months to under 1 year in oak; what to look for: Agave with light vanilla)
- 3: Añejo (aging rule: 1 to under 3 years in oak; what to look for: Caramel, wood, rounder body)
- 4 (optional): Extra añejo (aging rule: 3 years or more in oak; what to look for: Deep oak, long finish)
Choose bottles labeled "100% agave." For more help, the guide to picking a bottle worth sipping explains labels, NOM numbers and additives.
National Tequila Day Cocktail Ideas
These drinks are easy to make for a crowd.
- Paloma: Tequila, lime juice, grapefruit soda (notes: Salt rim optional)
- Batanga: Tequila, lime juice, cola (notes: Created at La Capilla in the town of Tequila)
- Tequila Sunrise: Tequila, orange juice, grenadine (notes: Grenadine sinks for the sunrise look)
- Ranch Water: Tequila, lime juice, sparkling mineral water (notes: A Texas favorite)
- Margarita: Tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice (notes: Shake and strain)
The Batanga is credited to Don Javier Delgado, owner of La Capilla, a bar in Tequila, Jalisco. It is traditionally stirred with a long wooden-handled knife.
The modern Tequila Sunrise came from the Trident in Sausalito, California, in the early 1970s. It became famous after the Rolling Stones ordered it on their 1972 US tour.
Celebrate the Mexican Way
In Mexico, tequila is traditionally drunk neat, not as a fast shot. People sip it slowly, often with food.
A common partner is sangrita, a sweet, sour and spicy chaser. It is made from orange juice, grenadine or tomato juice, and hot chili. Pour the tequila and the sangrita in two small glasses and sip them in turn.
Salt and lime with a shot, sometimes called tequila cruda, is more common outside Mexico. It works with a young blanco, but a good reposado or añejo is better tasted on its own.
For a tasting, use a small stemmed glass rather than a shot glass. The Consejo Regulador del Tequila approved the Riedel Ouverture glass as an official tequila glass in 2002. Any small wine glass works in a similar way, because it holds the aroma near the rim.
Tips for Hosting
- Set a plan for the night. Small pours, plenty of water and food keep a tasting fun.
- Offer a zero-proof option. A non-alcoholic margarita or a lime soda keeps everyone included.
- Arrange rides home. Drink responsibly, and never drive after drinking.
- Keep it simple. Three bottles and one cocktail are enough for a good party.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is National Tequila Day 2026?
National Tequila Day 2026 was Friday, July 24. The date is the same every year, so in 2027 it falls on Saturday, July 24.
Is National Tequila Day an official holiday?
In the US, no. It is an unofficial observance with no founding law. In Mexico, yes: the Día Nacional del Tequila is set by an official decree, now on July 24.
Who started National Tequila Day?
No one knows for sure. The earliest known mention comes from 1974, when a fraternity at Utah State University held a "National Tequila Day." Bars and brands later fixed the date on July 24.
Is there a National Tequila Day in Mexico?
Yes. Mexico created an official day in 2018, on the third Saturday of March. In 2026 the Senate moved it to July 24, matching the US date.
What is the difference between National Tequila Day and National Margarita Day?
National Tequila Day, July 24, celebrates the spirit in every style. National Margarita Day, February 22, celebrates the margarita cocktail.
National Tequila Day at Mi Casa
At Mi Casa Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Breckenridge, every day feels a little like National Tequila Day. We pour over 100 tequila selections, the largest tequila list in Summit County.
On July 24, come try a flight from our list, or order a Paloma made with Herradura Silver and grapefruit. Our house margarita lineup runs from The Classic to the Mi Casa Margarita with Casamigos reposado. Stop in early for happy hour in the cantina, 2 to 5 pm daily, steps from the Peak 9 base.
