Forget vodka. In Mecklenburg County, there’s a new top drink for ABC store sales
Mecklenburg County liquor store sales dipped slightly last fiscal year, but profits remained strong at $70.4 million as tequila dominated the county’s top-selling liquor list — and it displaced vodka’s grip as the top product, a position that drink held for at least the last six years.
Don Julio Reposado ranked first in sales at $10.5 million, according to the Mecklenburg County ABC Board’s newly released annual top 10 list. Tequila brands claimed six of the top 10 spots, the board’s fiscal year 2025 financial report shows.
Vodka had previously been the county’s top-selling category, with Tito’s Handmade Vodka holding the No. 1 spot since at least 2020. Tito’s appeared three times on this year’s top 10 list in different bottle sizes, with combined sales of more than $19.2 million.
Don Julio Reposado tequila, which last year entered the top 10 for the first time — landing at No. 7 — climbed to the top spot. “Reposado” means “rested” in Spanish, and the tequila is aged in oak barrels for two months to a year, according to liquor.com.
Don Julio González founded the La Primavera distillery at age 17 in Mexico’s Jalisco Highlands, according to the company’s website, and his sons created a tequila in his honor in 1985.
The other five tequilas on the list posted combined sales of more than $19 million, underscoring tequila’s continued surge in Mecklenburg County over the past three years as a favorite libation.
Hennessy VS, a cognac, ranked fifth with more than $4.3 million in sales.
Mecklenburg County ABC store liquor sales
Mecklenburg County operates 31 ABC stores and employs more than 350 full- and part-time workers. Four locations were remodeled last year on Albemarle Road, at Cotswold Village Shops, on Sunset Road and in Mint Hill.
Gross sales in 2025 reached a record $280 million, according to the report.
Overall, Mecklenburg County liquor stores’ net sales fell by just 0.09% in fiscal year 2025 compared to 2024, which had set the record at $71 million.
Net sales were 42% higher in 2025 compared to 2020.
North Carolina is one of 17 “control states” where liquor sales are regulated through Alcoholic Beverage Control boards. Unlike most control states, North Carolina has 168 independent, locally-run ABC boards with profits distributed back to the communities they serve.
Mecklenburg County’s top-selling liquor products (by sales dollars)
1. Don Julio Reposado
2. Tito’s Handmade Vodka
3. Tito’s (1.75-liter)
4. Tito’s (1 liter)
5. Hennessy VS (cognac)
6. Casamigos Reposado Tequila
7. Teremana Reposado Tequila
8. Patron Silver (tequila)
9. Lunazul Blanco Tequila
10. Casamigos Blanco Tequila Note: Bottle size is 0.75 liter unless otherwise noted.
