Tequila Agave Shortage

Celebrities are elbowing each other to get a piece of the Tequila pie. The list seems endless and still growing with celebrities like George Clooney & Rande Gerber, Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), Lenny Kravitz, Nick Jonas, Justin Timberlake, George Strait, Carlos Santana, Diddy, Adam Levine, Michael Jordan, Kendall Jenner, Eva Longoria, Nick Jonas & John Vervator, Mark Wahlberg, Aaron Paul & Bryan Cranston … whew!… I can’t even name them all, the Tequila space is extremely overcrowded. To the point where small brands are getting pushed out of the business and struggling for shelf space.

Agave plants in Mexico must be used in order to call it “Tequila” otherwise it’s simply Agave. They need 7 years to o reach maturity for harvest so, with so much production Mexico is heading into a real shortage issue or harvesting the plants too early. The lack of precipitation in combination with higher-than-average temperatures has had a detrimental impact on Mexico's ability to keep up with the soaring global demand.

Agave prices have gone up 10 times from where they were 10 years ago, and tequila has become one of the fastest-growing spirits in the country for the first time ever, outselling U.S. whiskey. It’s not uncommon for brands to use additives like glycerin.

Glycerin or glycerol is a type of sugar alcohol compound that is made from either animal fats or plant fats or is synthetically produced. Glycerin contains slightly more calories per gram than sugar and is 60–75% as sweet.  It can also be used in liqueurs as a thickening and sweetening agent. Glycerine is used to smooth and mellow spirits and add some modest body. If you think your distillate is a little sharp or has a bit too much of that 'alcohol burn,' adding a few drops of glycerine can reduce the harshness, add mellowness and improve mouthfeel. Glycerin is a sweet-tasting, colorless, thick liquid that, when frozen, doesn't end up like an ice cube. It freezes into a gummy paste.

Glycerine, or glycerol, has the food additive identifier E422. It is colorless, odorless, and sweet tasting (60% as sweet as sucrose) and is used to sweeten vodka, tequila, after-dinner cordials, and more, and, perhaps more importantly, to increase the vodka's viscosity without substantially altering its flavor. Alcohol brands are not required to add glycerine or any other additives like sugar or Velcorin® (dimethyl dicarbonate, DMDC) to their label leaving you in the dark as to what you are actually consuming.

It is formed naturally through the alcoholic fermentation of sugars; however, most of the glycerin we consume is produced from the hydrolysis of fats and oils, and in lesser quantities through the fermentation of yeast, sugar or starch. Glycerin is used as an ingredient in a variety of food and beverage products to help retain moisture, prevent sugar crystallization, and add bulk, smoothness, softness, sweetness and texture.

It absorbs water from the air, and it is used as a moisturizer in soaps and lotions. Glycerol has a sweet taste, and it can be used as a food preservative and a nonsugar sweetener. The ingredient acts as a solvent for flavors and food colors in soft drinks and confections, and as a humectant—a substance used to reduce the loss of moisture—in dried fruits, nutrition and energy bars, candy, cakes, and casings for meats and cheese.

While the safety of glycerin (and other sugar alcohols) is well documented, when eaten in excessive amounts, some sugar alcohols (e.g., mannitol and sorbitol) can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, including gas, bloating, and diarrhea. As a result, packaged foods that contain mannitol or sorbitol must include a warning on their label about potential laxative effects. Because glycerin has been shown to be well-tolerated at current consumption levels, products that contain glycerin do not require a warning label.

It is naturally present in most animal fat’s as well as vegetable fats. Glycerine is also a byproduct in the manufacturing of soap. Glycerin occurs naturally in fermented foods and beverages, including beer, honey, vinegar, wine, and wine vinegar. It is also commercially produced from fats and oils or through the fermentation of yeast, sugar or starch. It’s a powerful additive, adding just a few drops of glycerine to poor-quality moonshine will conceal its harshness of it.

Also decreases time needed to age whiskey and rum. Since the 19th century, sugar alcohol has been used to form base flavors of liquors and liqueurs and as a vehicle in making flavors for stronger drinks such as gin, the essence of cognac, the essence of rock and rye whiskey, and artificial Scotch flavors.

VING Vodka uses zero glycerine or any other additives. All our ultra-premium vodka and VING ultra-premium canned cocktails are 100% transparent with all the serving facts and ingredients listed and zero secret ingredients.

VING Vodka is a California Vodka, made in Ventura and run in Los Angeles, California. Women-owned and run and certified by the WBENC. VING Organic Vodka. Organic Vodka.