One Year: Hudson Valley, NY Still Facing Massive Tequila Shortage?

So, take a deep breath, it will be ok. Did you notice? Have you been to your favorite liquor store and went to get that tequila you love so much and it just plain wasn't there? The horror! 

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Don Julio? Patron? Another dozen or so tequilas that you have tried and would go to in a pinch if your favorite wasn't there and those are also bare on the shelf? What's going on? Is there a tequila shortage in the Hudson Valley? Please, don't think that I am making this up, it is real!

After a few trips to the store, asking the sales person if they maaaybe had more in the back of the Don Julio Silver or the Patron or the least inexpensive Clase Azul, I decided that there had to be something going on. Was the store on a tequila boycott? Is this a case of no one wants to order my favorite tequila so I can just have a little bit before I unwind at night?

The third trip into the store I happened to see the store owner, so I asked. The store I was in is Mid Valley Wine & Liquor in Newburgh, my thought is that if they don't have it, no one else will. I stopped the owner Bobby Marino, and asked him about it. Essentially I will paraphrase the question that I asked him, "What's up with tequila? Are you just not ordering the good stuff?"

He was kind, chuckled a bit and said, "No, that's not it at all. I have been trying to get all of the tequilas that I am out of stock on, but the distributors are also out. They are telling me that its COVID related. The borders from Mexico (and France, Spain, Italy, etc) were closed for months, and that means it affects what I can get here in the store. If the distributors don't have it, they can't ship it to me, and then I can't put it on the shelf. I assure you, if I could get it, I would be happy to sell it to you. In the mean time, let's get you something else that you might like, have you tried ?"

I then asked him the follow up question, 'When do you think that it will return to normal?" His response? "Hopefully, within another month or two. The problem at that point becomes all the stores that want it are going to then have to share a smaller amount, so you will see a few bottles here and there until everyone's supply is back up to speed. The truth? I think we are looking at March or April, but I am keeping my fingers crossed that a truck of Patron or Crown Royal will pull up to my back door any minute now."

So, now you know why your favorite tequila is not on the shelf at your favorite store (or your second favorite store). What do you do in a situation like this? Look for a new favorite? Or save your money and stock up when it finally returns to store shelves.

Thanks to Bobby Marino and the entire team at Mid Valley Wine & Liquor and Newburgh for their help and make sure to give me a call when you get my favorite back in stock.