Tequila companies throw around a lot of words when talking about product sales: “premium”, “super-premium”, “prestige”, “double-platinum black diamond” (ok I made the last one up). But have you ever wondered if these sales categories actually mean anything? So did I. It turns out some do, some don’t.
IWSR groups spirits by retail price; DISCUS uses what suppliers earn. A low-priced bottle can be “premium” in one company’s system even when another uses a different cutoff. The definitions of “premium” and “super-premium” change with the system.
IWSR’s Price Categories
IWSR is known as a leading source of data and trends on liquor sales worldwide. They cover beer, wine and spirits and monitor sales in a range of categories and subcategories in 157 countries. Many in the industry use their categories and figures when referencing spirits sales.
IWSR divides spirits into seven price categories based on the average retail sales price in USD: Value, Standard, Premium, Super-Premium, Ultra-Premium, Prestige and Prestige Plus.
The ranges below are historical examples, with their original dates, markets and bottle sizes unrecorded. Use them to understand the category systems, then check local shop prices when buying.
| Price category | Starting retail price shown (US dollars) |
|---|---|
| Value | No starting price shown |
| Standard | $10 |
| Premium | $22.50 |
| Super-Premium | $30 |
| Ultra-Premium | $45 |
| Prestige | $100 |
| Prestige Plus | $200 |
DISCUS Price Categories
DISCUS is the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. DISCUS also maintains price categories for analyzing the spirits industry. However their prices are based on liquor supplier wholesale rates (what the spirit manufacturers earn, not what the end consumer pays). The categories are also different depending on the liquor – for example the tequila prices are set higher than bourbon prices for each category.
| Price Category | Supplier revenue per bottle | Tequila Brand Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Value | Up to $8.29 | Pepe Lopez, Sauza Giro |
| Premium | $8.30-$14.19 | Sauza Blanco, El Jimador Silver, Olmeca Altos |
| High End Premium | $14.20-$20.79 | Cazadores, Teremana, Espolón, Milagro, Sauza |
| Super Premium | $20.80+ | Patrón, Casamigos, Don Julio, Herradura, Sauza |
How Pernod Ricard and Becle classify their brands
Pernod Ricard Liquor Price Categories
Pernod Ricard is a global spirits giant and owner of tequila brands including Olmeca Altos, Avion and Codigo 1530 (founded by country singer George Strait). Their categories are like those used by IWSR but with slightly different price points.
Pernod Ricard’s historical price ranges have an unspecified currency and retail-versus-supplier basis.
| Price Category | Price Range | Agave spirit brands |
|---|---|---|
| Super Premium | $26-$40 | Olmeca Altos |
| Ultra Premium | $40-$90 | Codigo 1530, Avion, Del Maguey (mezcal) |
| Prestige | $90+ | Codigo 1530, Del Maguey (mezcal) |
Becle Liquor Price Categories
Becle owns Jose Cuervo, Maestro Dobel, 1800 and Gran Centenario among other tequila brands.
Becle’s ownership and global sales share
Becle led the global tequila company comparison with a 28.8% volume share in IWSR’s 2024 data, quoted in its March 2026 presentation. That presentation also reports 87% Beckmann-family ownership. Source: Becle’s March 2026 presentation.
Becle uses the same category names as IWSR but doesn’t publish its price boundaries. It classifies Jose Cuervo Especial as “Premium,” Tradicional as “Super premium,” and Reserva de la Familia as “Prestige.” These are Becle’s own groupings; the category name alone does not give a bottle’s shop price.
| Price Category | Tequila Brands |
|---|---|
| Premium | Jose Cuervo Especial |
| Super premium | Jose Cuervo Tradicional, 1800, Gran Centenario |
| Ultra premium | 1800, Maestro Dobel |
| Prestige | Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia |
Besides all this, in my opinion, any classification standard that would call Jose Cuervo Gold “premium” needs to take a good look at itself.
Use of Price Categories for Liquor
Comparing sales at different prices
Spirits are commonly categorized by price to compare different parts of the market. The pattern can change over time: DISCUS reported that in 2025 US tequila and mezcal volume increased in the value and premium tiers, while high-end premium and super-premium volume fell. These are supplier-price categories. Source: DISCUS’s 2025 tables.
How brands use “premium” and “luxury”
Marketers are known for their exaggeration and puffery. Every new tequila on the market is advertised thick with superlatives and we’re left in no doubt that it’s the highest quality, most premium-ist tequila ever made.
In reality, there’s not much to stop marketers using whatever terms they like, as long as they don’t step outside of the CRT’s requirements for labeling tequila. For instance, it can only be labeled as tequila if it has been made with at least 51% agave (a pretty low-bar if you ask me – to be mezcal it must be from 100% agave).
Many tequila brands are positioned as “luxury tequila”. Brands like Don Julio, Komos and Patrón El Alto use the term “luxury” in their marketing. There’s no recognized price category called luxury, but it would align closest to the top range of Ultra Premium and Prestige.
Is Jose Cuervo Especial tequila kosher?
Kosher certification for Jose Cuervo Especial has not been confirmed in the agency records checked for this article. Especial is a mixto, so STAR-K’s general acceptance for 100% agave tequila does not apply.†
† STAR-K’s tequila guidance excludes mixtos from its general acceptance. OK’s named Reserva de la Familia listings concern different products and do not establish Especial’s status. Sources checked October 14, 2026. See Is tequila kosher? for bottle checks, agency differences and Passover requirements. ↩