DEARBORN, Mich. – A Mexican restaurant in Dearborn has broken a world record for its spirits selection.
M Cantina, located at 13214 Michigan Avenue, has officially earned the Guinness World Record title for offering the most varieties of agave spirits commercially available in a restaurant, according to a release.
The restaurant, owned by Chef Junior Merino, was officially recognized on Tuesday, June 10, for offering 1,825 bottles of 100% agave spirits.
“Of the 1825 bottles, they’re all the most high quality and authentic in nature,” said Chloe McCarthy, the Official Guinness World Records Adjudicator who certified the award after confirming the availability of each individual bottle. “As part of Junior’s effort to dispel the notions that tequila is hard to process or makes you feel sick, the most high quality spirits don’t do that. I was touched by that.”
This comes after the previous record of 1,033 was set in 2024 by a restaurant in New Jersey.
M Cantina’s nearly 2,000-bottle collection includes tequilas, mezcals, raicillas, bacanoras, sotols and more.
Merino, who is also known as “The Liquid Chef” and recognized by the Mexican government as an Official Ambassador of Gastronomy & Tourism & Promoter of All Mexican Beverages, spent years building the collection, traveling through Mexico to discover rare spirits to offer guests.
“Achieving this record is an honor,” Merino said, “and it inspires us to continue exploring and celebrating Mexico’s vibrant spirit culture while elevating Americans’ understanding that Mexican food and beverage isn’t cheap — and is just as rich as any other storied culture in the world."
A representative from the government of the Mexican state of Jalisco was at M Cantina on Tuesday to witness the certification.
“Jalisco is one of the biggest producers of tequila, so I’m just here out of pride for the work Junior has been doing the last few years for the Mexican community,” Jalisco representative Giovanni Alcala said. “He’s helping contribute to getting more promotion for agave spirit beverages.”
In addition to M Cantina’s extensive agave spirits collection, guests can also find a collection of rare whiskey.
M Cantina is open from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.