If you thought the high-end tequila trend was going away any time soon, think again. Consider El Carmen, one of the nightspots run by club hipster Sean MacPherson, where, instead of the usual vodka shots, many of the scene-makers choose from more than 100 brands of tequila and a good variety of mezcals. Just three weeks ago, a restaurant named Tequila Jack's opened in Long Beach with 90 kinds of tequila. And the soon-to-open La Serena in Santa Monica is already sending out copies of its tequila list with more than 40 choices.

Even chain restaurants--following in the paths of tequila-savvy restaurants like Border Grill, Sonora Cafe and El Cholo--have gone tequila-crazy. Left at Albuquerque, which is about to open a branch in Irvine this month (its sixth), boasts a bar selection of more than 150 brands of tequila.

And Steve Wallace, owner of Wally's wine and liquor store in Westwood, which carries more than 70 types of tequila, says that the craze is just beginning. "There's a lot of tequila on the market, but real tequila, 100% Blue Agave, is the spirit of the millennium.