Tequila is one of the buzziest spirits categories in the U.S., and the holiday season is a great time to gift a quality bottle. Since the market has so many subcategories — not to mention a wealth of big-name, celebrity-backed brands — selecting the best one can sometimes feel like finding a needle in a haystack.
To help you choose the perfect bottle for your favorite agave aficionado, we narrowed your options down to some of our favorites for any gifting occasion. From those looking to up their Margarita game to drinkers seeking lush extra añejos for sipping neat, here are the seven best tequilas for gifting this year.
Best Budget Tequila: Tequila Zarpado Blanco
Best Splurge Tequila: Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo
Best Tequila for Beginners: LALO Tequila Blanco
Best Tequila for Agave Geeks: ArteNOM 1579 Blanco Clásico
Best Tequila for Cocktail Lovers: Tequila Ocho Plata
Best Tequila to Impress: Atanasio Orígenes ‘Espíritu Fuerte’
Best High-ABV Tequila: Mexa Tequila Tahona Blanco
Best Budget Tequila
Tequila Zarpado Blanco
Considering blancos are unaged (or aged for a very short time), the style is typically the most affordable type of tequila. For one of the highest-quality blancos we’ve tried in the under-$30 range, reach for Tequila Zarpado. Distilled from mature blue agave grown in Jalisco’s Los Valles region, it presents citrus and berry aromas that transition into an agave-forward palate with pops of peppery spice.
Average Price: $25
Rating: 93
Best Splurge Tequila
Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo
Handcrafted in the Mexican highlands by master tequilero Germán González Gorrochotegui, Tears of Llorona is one of the world’s most sought-after añejo expressions thanks to its limited availability. It’s distilled exclusively in small batches and aged in a combination of sherry, Scotch, and Cognac barrels for five years — two years longer than industry standard for añejos. The end result is a nuanced tequila with a palate that’s sure to please tequila and whiskey lovers alike. Expect raisiny notes and a touch of sweetness with a strong agave backbone.
Average Price: $280
Rating: 94
Best Tequila for Beginners
LALO Tequila Blanco
This bottling from VinePair’s 2025 Next Wave Awards Spirits Brand of the Year is a must-have for any home bar. Founded by David R. Carballido and Eduardo “Lalo” González (the grandson of tequila luminary Don Julio González), LALO Tequila produces its blanco the traditional way, with Highland blue agave slowly cooked in stone ovens for 40 hours, then twice distilled. It’s one of the most impressive expressions of agave we’ve sampled at VinePair HQ, delivering a robust vegetal essence with refreshing notes of underripe mango and orange blossom.
Average Price: $47
Rating: 94
Best Tequila for Agave Geeks
ArteNOM 1579 Blanco Clásico
Established in 2010, ArteNOM is not a producer, but instead a bottler of small-batch tequilas sourced from renowned distilleries — each given a unique identifying number by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) called a NOM. This allows the brand to focus on putting forth expressions dedicated to specific techniques, elevations, and growing sites. This bottling hails from NOM 1579, a Highlands distillery known for brands like G4 and Volans. Arriving at 40.7 percent ABV, the tequila is a knockout, offering sweet baked agave notes and a plethora of earthy minerality.
Average Price: $55
Rating: 95
Best Tequila for Cocktail Lovers
Tequila Ocho Plata
Terroir is a term that’s most often used in discussions about wine, but Tequila Ocho was founded on the philosophy that having a sense of place is just as important in spirits production. The brand is the world’s first single-estate tequila, meaning every expression is distilled from agaves harvested at a singular vineyard. The brand has rapidly gained favor among bartenders, and its Plata is a great pick for any at-home mixologist. Briny and vegetal, the 80 proof tequila has great minerality and vibrant citrus notes, making it a stellar selection for shaking into Margaritas.
Average Price: $50
Rating: 94
Best Tequila to Impress
Atanasio Orígenes ‘Espíritu Fuerte’
The founders of Tequila Atanasio, the sons of agave farmers, got their start distilling unsold agave plants. Today, the 30-year-old brand is known for its distinctive small-batch tequilas, including the impressive “Espíritu Fuerte.” Bottled at an assertive 46 percent ABV, it delivers on its promise of intensity, with abundant pineapple and habanero aromas and a viscous palate delivering clean notes of agave and cracked pepper. While you might be tempted to toss this blanco into a cocktail, we promise it’s best enjoyed as a sipping spirit.
Average Price: $84
Rating: 94
Best High-ABV Tequila
Mexa Tequila Tahona Blanco
In recent years, high-proof and still-strength expressions (those ranging from 46 to 55 percent ABV) have garnered increased favor for their extreme concentration of agave flavor relative to the entry-level 40 percent ABV expressions. For those looking to sample one of the best bottles in the category, try Mexa Tequila Tahona Blanco. The agaves used for production are traditionally crushed with a tahona wheel before the extract is distilled and bottled at 96 proof. Aromas of juicy berries and violets greet the nose before a bright, energetic, and mineral palate with a sweet agave core takes over.
Average Price: $69
Rating: 96
