Indian Agave And Tequila Spirits We Are Coveting Right Now

The tequila boom was always going to reach us eventually. What nobody quite predicted was that India wouldn't just consume it, but start making it.

To be precise about the terminology: making agave spirit. Because here's the thing that gets lost in translation at every bar conversation — tequila is a designation of origin. Like Champagne or Darjeeling, the word "tequila" is legally protected. It must be made from at least 51 per cent Blue Weber agave, grown in designated regions of Mexico — primarily Jalisco — and produced under the watchful eye of the Consejo Regulador del Tequila. So when a brand distills agave in Goa or

Andhra Pradesh, however skillfully, it isn't tequila. It's an agave spirit, and that's a different, arguably more interesting, story.

Some Indian brands sidestep this entirely by actually producing their tequila in Jalisco and simply bringing it home. Others are building something entirely their own — from wild agave growing in the Deccan Plateau, aged and bottled in India.

Here are the ones we’re loving at the moment.

Loca Loka

The name is the first clue: Loca, crazy in Spanish; Loka, world in Sanskrit. The brand is the brainchild of actor Rana Daggubati and music composer Anirudh Ravichander. Loca Loka is imagined in India but made (properly and legitimately) in Jalisco, Mexico. A third-generation distiller oversees production using 100 per cent highland agave, hand-picked, slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, and then finally fermented.

The Blanco is transparent with a fruity brightness and subtle earthy undertones — crisp, unencumbered, exactly what a Blanco should be. Meanwhile, the Reposado goes deeper, aged in both French and American oak for a warmer, rounder character.

Maya Pistola Agavepura

This one doesn't chase tequila's regulatory framework, and honestly, we’re better for it. Maya Pistola is built entirely on Indian terroir — wild Agave Americana harvested from the highlands of the Chittoor district in the Deccan Plateau, where the plants grow for 11 to 13 years before harvest. The ageing, blending, and bottling all happen in Goa, which, the brand will tell you, lends a natural salinity to the finish.

The range is the most extensive of any Indian agave brand right now. There's the Joven — bright, herbaceous, layered with spice. The Rosa, aged in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon French oak barrels, is dry and fruit-forward with a lingering finish. The Reposado, rested four to six months in Virgin American White Oak and ex-Bourbon casks, leads with orange marmalade and pineapple. The Añejo, past 14 months in wood, gets oaky and complex with cocoa and dried figs. And the Extra Añejo — 36 months, finished in ex-Bourbon barrels — is the closest this category gets to a contemplative, slow-sipping spirit. The brand recently added Cabrón Destilado de Agave to the lineup, designed for cocktails and shots.

DesmondJi

If you're looking for the founding story of Indian agave spirits, it starts here. DesmondJi launched in 2011 — well before agave was a conversation anyone in India was having — from Agave India's micro-distillery in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. The founder, Desmond Nazareth, is an IIT Madras and Temple University graduate who, among other things, was one of the early fixers of the Y2K problem. He came back to build India's first official craft distillery across 44 acres and began crafting agave spirit from semi-wild Agave Americana grown on the Deccan Plateau.

The lineup is uncomplicated by design. There's a 51 per cent Agave distilled in small-batch pot stills, a 100 per cent Agave, and a 51 per cent Agave Gold finished in charred oak for a warm, mellow pour.

El Goonda

This is the most recent entry on this list. El Goonda launched in 2025, co-created with actor Karan Tacker. The range skips the Mexico playbook entirely.

The Silver is a blend of aged and unaged agave with floral, peppery notes. Meanwhile, the Reposado, aged four to seven months in ex-Bourbon barrels, is smoky and deep with honey and vanilla.