Ilegal vs Montelobos:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ilegal had more branded searches than Montelobos among mezcal brands worldwide. Ilegal had about 9,900 branded searches, while Montelobos had 6,600. Ilegal made up 13.6% of all mezcal brand searches we track, and Montelobos accounted for 9.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mezcal brands, Montelobos appeared in four of the five answers and Ilegal in three. Montelobos was mentioned before Ilegal in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Ilegal, about 50% more searches than Montelobos
Who does AI mention more?
Montelobos, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Ilegal in 3
Who does AI recommend more?
Montelobos, named ahead of Ilegal in 3 of 5 answers
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Top mezcal brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Montelobos was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Ilegal was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Montelobos was listed before Ilegal in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Del Maguey5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Montelobos4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ilegal3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
400 Conejos2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bozal2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Casamigos0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Dos Hombres0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Madre0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Mezcal Unión0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about mezcal brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which mezcal brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best mezcal brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best mezcal brand for someone new to mezcal?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best mezcal”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mezcal brands”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Ilegal or Montelobos more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ilegal and Montelobos by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine mezcal brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ilegal, Montelobos. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | 400 Conejos | Ilegal | Montelobos | Del Maguey | Casamigos | Dos Hombres | Madre | Bozal | Mezcal Unión |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34% | 15.2% | 10.2% | 7.3% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.6% | 12.6% | 8.5% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 15.4% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.9% | 24% | 7.2% | 5.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.6% | 16.7% | 9.1% | 7.3% | 7.4% | 13.7% | 6.1% | 5% | 4.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.5% | 13.6% | 7.4% | 8% | 7.4% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 5% | 4% |
| Mar 2026 | 32.7% | 14.6% | 8% | 7% | 8% | 14.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 3.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 32.4% | 14.5% | 7.9% | 7.8% | 7.9% | 14.5% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 3.5% |
| May 2026 | 33.6% | 15% | 8.2% | 8.1% | 10% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 3.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.3% | 16.5% | 9% | 8.9% | 9% | 9% | 7.4% | 6% | 4% |
| Jul 2026 | 31.2% | 13.9% | 9.3% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 4.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.7% | 13% | 8.7% | 8.6% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 37.2% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 8% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 6% | 4% |
How has the Ilegal and Montelobos comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ilegal was ahead of Montelobos in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ilegal’s share of searches among mezcal brands worldwide moved from 15.2% to 13.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 9.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Montelobos’ share of searches among mezcal brands worldwide moved from 10.2% to 9.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 6.6K.
How did search popularity change for mezcal brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Ilegal gained share of searches among mezcal brands worldwide, from 13% to 13.6%.
In September 2026, Montelobos rose from 5th to 3rd among mezcal brands worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ilegal’s and Montelobos’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Ilegal
1 branded search term
- ilegal mezcal
Montelobos
1 branded search term
- montelobos
Other head-to-heads among mezcal brands
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