‘I’m Finna Be In The Liquor Store Looking A Fool’: Tequila Expert In Mexico Shares Trick To Checking If The Tequila Is Good Or Not

Was this tequila seller trying to educate tourists on how to spot good tequila, or was he just trying to sell a product? This is the question that arose from a TikTok where a man taught his customers a “trick” they can use to differentiate between high-quality tequila vs. low-quality tequila. But was he right?

The Shaking Test

In a viral clip, TikToker @the.world.cruisers shared a quick lesson from a tequila store worker in Cancún, México. The TikToker films the man inside the store as he holds two different bottles of tequila. Several tourists crowd around him, hanging on to his every word.

“How can you see if it’s good or not good?” the man asks. “Shake a bottle!”

He then shakes the bottle in his right hand for a few seconds before stilling. “You see? Too much bubble,” the man says, pointing out the foam forming at the top of the bottle. “Extra ingredient. Water, chemical, or sugar.”

He then shakes the other bottle he calls “my alcohol.” The shaking creates a vortex inside before it stills. “See? Clear,” he says. There are indeed no bubbles foaming at the top of this one.

The person filming “oohs” and “aahs” at his demonstration, clearly impressed with the lesson.

The man illustrates his point a second time, shaking both bottles simultaneously and once again showing that his product doesn’t foam at the top.

He concludes by calling his bottle tequila, and the “bad” bottle he dubs “Te-KILL-ya.”

Does The Tequila-Shaking Method Actually Work?

The TikToker’s clip earned a whopping 9.2 million views, with folks clearly impressed with the tequila seller’s trick. Several joked about using the method when buying in-store.

“The people working at liquor stores are going to be so confused why everyone is shaking all the bottles now lol,” a user wrote. Another top comment read, “I’m finna be in the liquor store looking a fool.”

However, does the shaking test actually prove whether a tequila is “bad”? In short, not really. There appears to be no official evidence that bubbles are an indicator that a tequila is bad. The bubbles formed are likely from aeration from the vigorous shaking and not the tequila itself.

In fact, one alcohol expert tested out the trick in @the.world.cruisers’s TikTok at home. He shook two high-quality tequila bottles and two tequila bottles with additives. All four lacked bubbles.

“Not sure what kind of tequila that is, but it is in Cancún—[a] huge touristic spot,” Matt (@sippinwithmatt) says in his Reel. “I don’t know if we could debunk this one, so whatever that gentleman was trying to sell those folks, I don’t know. I guess it worked for him.” He concludes his experiment by saying both the good and bad tequila had the same outcome when shaken.

Good Tequila Vs. Bad Tequila: Signs To Look For

While there is no conclusive evidence that the shake test works, there are some things—and even an at-home test—you can do to buy the best tequila.

While a good tequila is characterized by being 100% agave, “bad” tequila contains additives. However, last year, brands removed the Additive Free Alliance certifications due to pressure from the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), the tequila regulatory body. This meant that the label is now murky on whether something is truly additive-free, hence why folks now need to test for themselves.

An article on VinePair shares two ways you can test out the quality of your tequila.

1. Check the NOM. According to the article, tequila bottles all have a four-digit code on the back that reveals which distillery it came from. “While there are over 1,400 registered tequila brands on the market, there are only around 140 licensed tequila distilleries in Mexico,” it states. “So many bottles can be traced back to the same distilleries.”
2. The palm test. The second way is pouring some of the tequila on your palm and rubbing it between your fingers to see if it’s sticky. “If the liquid feels sticky and syrupy on your hands, it probably means the tequila was made with additives, including added sugar,” it reads. “Whereas if your hands feel smooth and dry, it’s likely a higher-quality tequila with no artificial substances.”

BroBible reached out to the creator via TikTok direct message and comment.