In 2020 we launched our Tequila Matchmaker Verified Additive Free program for brands and distilleries that want to be super transparent about their production processes and their non-use of additives. It is an opt-in program, which needs to be renewed each year.
Inspections are done on-site and can last from a few hours to a few days, depending on how many brands and products we are verifying at the distillery. In addition to auditing production records and reviewing chemical analysis reports, we ask a lot of questions and perform a sensorial analysis throughout various stages of the production process.
You can read more about our verification process, here.
This list will be updated each time a brand is added (or removed) from the program. You can use the form (below) to subscribe to email alerts any time this list changes.
| Brand | Inspection Type | Date Completed | Current Status | NOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Abuelos | Distillery | 2020-06-29 | Active | 1493 |
| Fuenteseca | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Tepozan | Distillery | 2020-11-03 | Active | 1584 |
| Patrón | Distillery | 2020-02-28** | Active | 1492 |
| Cascahuín | Distillery | 2021-02-10 | Active | 1123 |
| Tequila Ocho | Distillery | 2020-08-03 | Active | 1474/1139 |
| Tapatio | Distillery | 2020-08-03 | Active | 1474/1139 |
| G4 | Distillery | 2020-06-17 | Active | 1579 |
| Fortaleza | Distillery | 2020-06-29 | Active | 1493 |
| Gran Dovejo | Brand | 2020-07-08 | Active | 1414 |
| El Tesoro de Don Felipe | Distillery | 2020-08-03 | Active | 1474/1139 |
| Volans | Distillery | 2020-06-17 | Active | 1579 |
| Siembra Valles | Distillery | 2021-02-10 | Active | 1123 |
| El Tequileño | Distillery | 2020-05-06 | Active | 1108 |
| Terralta | Distillery | 2020-06-17 | Active | 1579 |
| Loco | Distillery | 2021-02-10 | Active | 1123 |
| Partida | Brand | 2020-12-23 | Active | 1502 |
| Purasangre | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Tears of Llorona | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Tau | Brand | 2020-08-17 | Active | 1414 |
| Don Lorenzo | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Tres Cuatro Cinco | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Lalo | Brand | 2020-12-14 | Active | 1468 |
| Viva Mexico | Brand | 2020-08-17 | Active | 1414 |
| Cuernito | Distillery | 2021-02-10 | Active | 1123 |
| Siembra Azul | Brand | 2020-08-17 | Active | 1414 |
| ArteNOM Selección de 1579 | Distillery | 2020-06-17 | Active | 1579 |
| Pasote | Distillery | 2020-06-17 | Active | 1579 |
| Villa Lobos | Distillery | 2020-08-03 | Active | 1474/1139 |
| Don Fulano | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Cazcanes | Distillery | 2020-08-06 | Active | 1599 |
| Yeyo | Brand | 2020-07-08 | Active | 1414 |
| General Gorostieta | Brand | 2020-08-17 | Active | 1414 |
| Atanasio | Distillery | 2020-08-06 | Active | 1599 |
| Torai | Distillery | 2020-06-17 | Active | 1579 |
| t1 Tequila Uno | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| ArteNOM Selección de 1146 | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| ArteNOM Selección de 1414 | Brand | 2020-07-08 | Active | 1414 |
| Cierto | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Suave Tequila | Brand | 2020-02-05* | Active | 1522 |
| Lapis | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| Cimarron | Distillery | 2021-03-20 | Active | 1146 |
| El Rey | Distillery | 2021-02-10 | Active | 1123 |
| Volcan de Mi Tierra | Distillery | 2020-10-19 | Active | 1523 |
| ArteNOM Seleccion de 1123 | Distillery | 2021-02-10 | Active | 1123 |
| Los Dos | Brand | 2021-02-24 | Active | 1414 |
| De-Nada Tequila | Brand | 2021-02-24 | Active | 1414 |
| TCapri Tequila | Distillery | 2021-03-12 | Active | 1584 |
| Tanteo Blanco | Brand | 2021-03-25 | Active | 1551 |
* Renewal pending new production run.
** Renewal delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions at distillery.
Additive-Free Alerts
Use this form to receive email alerts of any changes to this list. Updates include when brands are added, removed, expired or renewed.
Image Gallery
These are some images taken during our verification visits. We are granted full access to all areas of the distillery, and have permission to take samples from any part of the process. We also review legal production records, chemical analysis reports, and product transportation logs.
I am excited to have this list in list form…instead of finding them individually on TMM app. I think this is the most important thing with tequila–at least the tequila that I want to drink. I love that some of my favorites are already here and some that I need try. I will go from this list next time I am picking a tequila to taste and buy. I hope more brands/distilleries jump on this protocol.
An incredible effort here! Thanks for leading the charge and creating transparency in the industry.
Thank you! I am passionate about tequila and I will keep this list close.
Thank you so much for this list! The more expressions I try, the more sensitive I become to artificial flavorings. So excited to confidently try some expressions that are verified free of additives. I hope more distilleries become a part of this project!
This is a fantastic resource and will be a great help in my future purchases and recommendations.
Thank you for the list, what kind of additives are you talking about? I understand that this is an opt-in program, so may other brands may be additive free, but they have opted not to be added (IDK what they would not….), just want to know what kind of additives they would use.
Hi Luis. We go into detail about that here: https://tastetequila.com/2017/the-lowdown-on-tequila-additives/
A colleague introduced me to a Kirkland brand – Tequila Anejo at Costco –
The labelling states it was produced and bottled by : Destileria Santa Lucia ,
Servidumbre De Paso a Las Agujas 4SO , Col. Las Agujas , Zaropan Jalisco CP 4S200 .
A “Carlos Newton” describes himself on the label as the Master Distiller with the content described as ” extra aged ” 100% de agave – batch A-9.
I have tried without success to find out a little more about this particular offering which a number of my friends and myself are now drinking . Any comment would be most welcome .
We don’t have much production information on this product either.
This is fantastic information and your website is an unbelievable resource, which I greatly appreciate. I have a couple questions:
1. I’m verifying that any blanco I get, say a Calle 23 Criollo, can be assumed to be Additive-free, despite not being marked as such on the Matchmaker site?
2. Pasote and El Tesoro de Don Felipe are both listed as an additive-free distilleries, but their respective XA’s are not marked as Additive-free. Can I assume that if the distillery is verified, that all of their products are free from additives?
Hi Josh. Answers:
1) Yes, there are many tequilas that are additive free, but have not gone through our process. Our program exists to give a third-party layer of assurance.
2) Both Pasote and El Tesoro de Don Felipe are additive free in their entire lineup. I will need to check to see if our database needs to be updated to reflect that. Also, no, you cannot assume that if a distillery is verified it means that all of their products are additive-free. A distillery can still be verified if they have additive use in their facility — they just need to declare which ones are using additives so we can focus on the ones that don’t.
Thank you for your rapid response, I love it.
I will add the Pasote and El Tesoro XA’s, as well as the Calle 23 Criollo, to my personal additive-free list.
Keep up the great work, I know I greatly enjoy the content.
Thank you so much for putting this together and committing to keeping it updated! Two questions:
1. Not clear on the response to Josh Ohlinger…are all blancos additive-free, regardless of distillery?
2. Will you add a quick link to this list on your app so it is readily viewed there? It would be a handy reference when shopping.
Thanks,
Nathan
Answers:
1) No, some blancos definitely contain additives.
2) We will eventually create this list within the app itself. There won’t be any need to link to this version of the list.
ok, but your 2018 post titled ” The Lowdown on Tequila Additives” stated that was banned by the norma . Now confused.
Hi Keith. The story you mention is from 2017:
https://tastetequila.com/2017/the-lowdown-on-tequila-additives/
In that story, and right after that claim is an asterisk, which states (at the bottom):
“** – There are some confusing rules in the NORMA that appear to allow the use of additives in a blanco. In the 2012 NORMA, section 4.36.1 says that blanco tequilas should be “sin abocante” (without additives). However, section 6.1.1.1 states that the products defined in 5 sections, including 4.36.1, allows for “edulcorantes, colorantes, aromatizantes y/o saborizantes permitidos por la Secretaría de Salud” (sweeteners, coloring, aromas and flavors allowed by the Health Secretary.)”
When we wrote the story we based that information on what CRT representatives were saying about the issue. At the time, that was enough for us.
We later learned that additives were indeed being used in blanco tequilas and that a loophole in the NORMA made this possible. This was confirmed when producers directly told us (off the record) that they were making use of this confusion within the NORMA. So that’s one of the big reasons why we decided to start up the verification program.
Thank you for the clarification. This saddens me that this is all being done all in the name of profits vs integrity & honesty. That’s why I stick to and fully endorse the products from NOM1146 . Love my Cimarron.
Hi there!
Are we assuming that tequilas on the “additive free” list are automatically “not diffuser made” as well?
Or is there a separate list for “non-diffuser made” tequilas?
Many thx,
Diffuser-made products *can* be additive-free, but as of this writing there are no products made with a diffuser on the list.
Do you have any plans to verify if Don Julio is additive-free? Have you heard anything from their distillery?
They have not contacted us about this.
I wish all things ingested would list ingredients. In some parts of the world they are. Many thanks.