Does this restaurant have the world’s biggest Tequila collection?

The owner of a newly opened Mexican restaurant in New Jersey believes it has the most extensive library of Tequila brands on the planet, with more than 1,000 different kinds of agave spirit on offer.

The owner of a Mexican restaurant in central New Jersey says he was determined to break the world record for the biggest choice of agave spirits on offer to customers.

“We wanted to do something really special, not just for the community here, but also for the Tequila enthusiasts all over the US,” said TJ Pingitore, senior vice president for LeMalt Hospitality Group, which owns Meximodo restaurant.

The world record the establishment intended to break is “the most Tequila and mezcal that’s pourable by law.”

In order to do so, Meximodo had to stock a greater selection than its next closest contenders, Mama Rabbit Bar in Las Vegas and Mezcalito Chelsea in London, both of which hit the 500-bottle mark.

2019 saw Park MGM’s Mama Rabbit Bar take the crown for the biggest agave selection with more than 500 brand labels including its own exclusive in-house spirits. Its own Tequilas broke another world record by offering the first mezcal-barrelled Blanco Tequila, and a mezcal aged in premium Mendocino pot still brandy casks.

Mezcalito Chelsea is known for its agave tasting flights, where guests can sample three spirits of their choice in 25ml servings from between £20 to £80.

More than 1,000 bottles

Meximodo claims to have smashed the existing world record with its truly impressive haul, made up of more than 1,000 bottles of agave-based spirits lining shelves, and staff on hand to guide patrons through choosing from the massive stash.

“Our bartenders are all trained in suggesting the flavour profile out there,” Pingitore said.

“There’s a good 20 or 25 [liquors] that are on the spicier end or have a really jalapeño, habanero type of kick. There’s Tequilas that you know — and then some small batch distillates that you don’t. And those are just as interesting, too, so we invite everybody to come in and discover.”

Patrons can sample their choice of agave spirit alongside Mexican-inspired food dishes including Pineapple-Mango Guacamole and Pollo con Mole.

Tequila is muscling in on Cognac’s share of the spirits market in the United States with Tequila having the advantage of “scale, diversity and versatility” over Cognac, according to Jose Luis Hermoso, research director, IWSR.

“Tequila boasts a wide variety of styles and price points versus the relatively narrow – and expensive – range of products available in Cognac,” he said.

However, Tequila has also been at the heart of some less palatable activities, with one nightclub fined for serving toxic caustic soda with Tequila shots instead of salt, and the discovery of liquid meth smuggled into the US in more than 7,000 mezcal bottles.

Meanwhile, California is keen to establish itself as the next agave-growing hotspot, with more farmers than ever planting the crop.