The day of the tequila shot may be behind us, if rumours are true. The New York Times reports that Amatitan in Mexico (the so-called heartland of the tequila industry) is experiencing a worsening shortage of blue agave. It’s the popularity of tequila globally that has caused the decline of the succulent, which is essential in the creation of the tipple.

While there were 18 million blue agaves planted in 2011 that are now ready for harvest, this amount falls far short of the estimated 42 million required to satisfy this year’s demand from tequila companies. Many farmers have instead turned to using young plants to compensate for a shortage of the fully grown, which take seven or eight years to reach maturity. This has led to a decreasing quality of tequila itself (and outrage from the traditionalists), as well as the likelihood that the shortage will continue for many years to come. 

So when can we expect this lack of agave to turn around? 2021 say experts who predict that government initiatives regarding planting strategies should have then come into fruition.