Where to Buy Tequila and Mezcal in the UK: The Specialist Shops

Most British supermarkets sell a few bottles of tequila and, increasingly, one or two of mezcal. If you want more than that, a 100 per cent agave tequila from a small distillery, a mezcal from a particular village or agave species, or simply someone to ask, you need a specialist. This guide lists the shops in our directory whose listings say they sell tequila or mezcal: a dedicated agave importer, an independent merchant with an agave section, a mezcal supper club, and the Mexican and Latin American grocers that carry spirits alongside their tortillas and chillies.

We report what each listing in our directory says, as of October 2026. Ranges change constantly, so check before you travel, and remember that you must be over eighteen to buy alcohol in the UK.

Tequila and mezcal in one minute

Both are Mexican spirits distilled from agave, and the difference matters when you are choosing a bottle. Tequila is made from one plant, the blue agave, primarily around the town of Tequila north-west of Guadalajara and in the highlands of Jalisco. Mezcal is the wider family: it can be made from any type of agave, and some nine-tenths of it comes from Oaxaca. In Mexico it is generally drunk straight, and many mezcals have a strong smoky flavour.

The single most useful thing to check on a tequila label is whether it says 100 per cent agave; the rest of the label, from the NOM number to the age categories, is explained in our guide to reading a tequila or mezcal label in a British bottle shop, and our guide to the difference between mezcal and tequila goes deeper.

The agave specialists

Casa Agave

Address: 15-16 Hurts Yard, Nottingham NG1 6JD
Opening hours (directory listing): daily 09:00–17:00
Website: casa-agave.com

The most specialised shop on this page. Its listing describes an importer of artisan tequila and mezcal, founded by the owners of a Nottingham agave bar, that sells to the public as well as the trade, with a curated selection from Mexican family distilleries. If you want to buy something you will not find anywhere else in Britain, start here.

Latitude Wine & Liquor Merchant

Address: 5 Cherry Tree Walk, Leeds LS2 7EB
Opening hours (directory listing): Mon 10:00–17:00 · Tue–Wed 10:00–18:00 · Thu 10:00–21:00 · Fri–Sat 10:00–23:00 · Sun 12:00–18:00
Website: latitudewine.co.uk

An independent wine and spirits merchant in Leeds whose listing describes a dedicated section for tequila, mezcal and other agave spirits, and an independent spirits retailer award in 2023. A good place to find staff who can talk you through the shelf.

Mextapas Mezcal Supper Club

Address: Oxford y Londres — supper club itinerante
Opening hours (directory listing): not listed in our directory
Website: mextapas.co.uk

Not a shop in the usual sense: our directory lists it as a supper club devoted to mezcal, holding events in Oxford and London that pair regional Mexican cooking with mezcals from small producers, and as an importer. Tasting several mezcals side by side with food is the quickest way to learn the category. Our guide to Mexican food in Oxford and Cambridge has more.

Mexican and Latin American grocers with spirits

These shops are grocers first, but their listings say they sell tequila or mezcal, so you can buy a bottle with your tortillas and chillies.

Mexican Mama

Address: 232 Rye Lane, SE15 4NL
Opening hours (directory listing): Mon–Sat 10:30–19:00 · Sun 10:30–16:30
Website: mexican-mama.com

A warehouse shop in Peckham whose listing describes a wide range of Mexican food, drinks and artisan products, including tequila and mezcal, with delivery across the UK.

Otomi UK

Address: 4 Boyces Avenue, Clifton, BS8 4AA
Opening hours (directory listing): Mon–Fri 10:00–17:30 · Sat 10:00–18:00 · Sun 11:00–16:00
Website: otomi.co.uk

In Clifton Village, Bristol. Its listing describes Mexican groceries, alcohol and crafts, including imported tequila and mezcal.

Several Latin American and Mexican grocers in our directory also list spirits. In London, the Latin American supermarket chain Latin Market (Old Kent Road) lists mezcal and tequila alongside tortillas, chillies, salsas and beer, and its Peckham branch, Latin Market Peckham in the Rye Lane indoor market, lists tequila too. In Edinburgh, Lupe Pintos Edinburgh, the long-established Mexican and American ingredient shop, lists tequila among its stock, and online, Latin Market Online delivers across the UK.

Buying your first good bottle

A specialist shop is worth the trip because you can ask questions, and the right questions make all the difference. For tequila, ask whether it is 100 per cent agave, who distils it and whether it is a blanco, which is unaged and tastes most of the plant, or a reposado or añejo, which have spent time in wood and taste more of the barrel. For mezcal, ask which agave it is made from, where it was made and by whom: good mezcal labels often name the species, the village and the maker, because those are what shape the flavour. Tell the shop what you like in other spirits, whether peaty whisky, gin or rum, and let them suggest a starting point. If you are buying a gift, a blanco tequila or an espadín mezcal, made from the agave most commonly used for mezcal, is a safe place to start; the rarer wild agaves are a treat for someone who already loves the category.

For the trade

If you run a bar or restaurant, Casa de Jack Online (Wholesale) is listed in our directory as a Latin American and Mexican food and drink wholesaler with an online trade shop that includes tequila. The Nottingham importer above also sells to the trade.

Bringing a bottle back from Mexico

If you are buying in Mexico, the GOV.UK personal allowance for arrivals in Great Britain from outside the UK is four litres of spirits over 22 per cent alcohol, or nine litres of drinks up to 22 per cent, and you can split that allowance between the two. Over the allowance, you must declare the goods and pay tax and duty on everything in that category. Our guide to bringing food and drink back from Mexico covers the rest of the rules.

What to do with it

A good agave spirit deserves to be tasted neat first, in small sips, the way mezcal is generally drunk in Mexico. After that, it is all yours:

• Our paloma recipe, tequila with lime and grapefruit soda, the simplest tequila highball there is.
• Our margarita recipe, made properly with fresh lime.
• Our mezcal paloma, smokier.
• Our tequila with sangrita, the spicy chaser.
• Our mezcal curado, mezcal infused with fruit.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between tequila and mezcal?

Tequila is made from blue agave, mainly in Jalisco; mezcal can be made from any agave, and most comes from Oaxaca.

Where can I buy artisan mezcal in the UK?

The specialist importer in Nottingham, the Leeds merchant with an agave section and the Oxford supper club are the places in our directory whose listings focus on it.

How much tequila can I bring back from Mexico?

The GOV.UK allowance for arrivals in Great Britain is four litres of spirits over 22 per cent alcohol, or nine litres of drinks up to 22 per cent. Check GOV.UK before you travel.

Where can I find more shops?

In our shop directory.

Sources

• Wikipedia, Tequila (blue agave; Tequila, Jalisco): en.wikipedia.org
• Wikipedia, Mezcal (any agave; most from Oaxaca): en.wikipedia.org
• GOV.UK, Bringing goods into the UK for personal use: alcohol allowances: gov.uk