The Consejo Regulador del Tequila, commonly abbreviated CRT, was established in 1994. It is the industry and verification organization associated with monitoring compliance with tequila’s official rules.
The CRT works within Mexico’s regulatory framework and helps verify matters such as authorized raw materials, production records, facilities, labeling, and traceability. Its work supports the protected designation of origin and helps distinguish legally produced tequila from other agave-based spirits.
The organization’s creation is sometimes mixed up with earlier milestones in tequila’s legal history. Mexico declared a denomination of origin for tequila in 1974, while the technical standard NOM-006-SCFI-2012 is a much later regulatory document. Those dates describe different events.
Verification is important because tequila is a protected name rather than a generic label for every spirit made from agave. Bottles sold as tequila must satisfy Mexican rules governing production and commercialization.