Loca Loka: When Mexico’s agave meets India’s spirit

ON MAY 8, the Poolside Bar of Solaire Casino Hotel hosted a launch that was more than just another spirit’s debut — it’s the arrival of Loca Loka, a handcrafted tequila that embodies both Mexican heritage and Indian entrepreneurial spirit.

Crafted from 100% pure highland agave grown in Jalisco, Mexico — the birthplace of tequila — Loca Loka is already decorated with international acclaim. Its Blanco earned Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, while the Reposado took Silver, alongside medals from New York, Miami, and Denver. But what makes this brand truly distinctive is not only its authenticity, but its origin story. Right now, only the Blanco and Reposado are available, but during this launch event, we got a teaser of the soon to be available, Añejo, their highest-level aged tequila — which was flown in on time for the launch.

Loca Loka is the first Indian-owned tequila brand, a joint venture between three cultural powerhouse personalities from India: Bollywood film star Rana Daggubati, celebrated composer Anirudh Ravichander, and seasoned beverage entrepreneur Harsha Vadlamudi. Together, they envisioned a tequila that would bridge continents — Mexican craftsmanship fused with Indian creativity and global ambition.

The influence of its founders is evident not just in the liquid, but in the brand’s storytelling. Bottle design and marketing carry subtle Indian touches: vibrant motifs, playful mascots like the mariachi teddy with a shehnai, and cultural fusions that blend agave leaves with peacock feathers. It is tequila reimaged for a modern, multicultural drinking audience.

NEW AND OLD AT THE SAME TIME
The Loca Loka brand may have only started some four to five years ago — extremely new in this very competitive tequila market, but their tequilas are not really considered new as the tequilas are made by third-generation tequila pillars. Loca Loka tequilas are made in partnership with the Bañuelos family, the same maker of Cazadores, one of Mexico’s most prominent tequila brands known for their 100% Weber agave. The style of Loca Loka emphasizes quality and purity, insisting on only three ingredients: 100% Blue Weber, water and yeast, and using traditional techniques, blended to perfection by Willy Bañuelos. So, a new tequila brand made by third generation master distillers makes great synergy as seen from the early success of the brand.

THE HIGH TRAJECTORY
The Loca Loka entry’s timing was almost prophetic. While the spirits consumption from rum, whisky, vodka, gin, to cognacs have steadily declined the last few years, tequila has been up. Premium or sipping tequilas are growing well, and Loca Loka is positioned just right to compete in this category. In these first five years, Loca Loka has gone from concept to a global player, already selling in the USA, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and here in the Philippines, the trajectory is there for more countries to join the craze (pun intended). During the event, I had a brief chat with Loca Loka Global Business Head Rajiv Ghumman, and when I asked why it was in the US they chose to launch first instead of India, he explained that Loca Loka wanted to be viewed immediately as a global brand. And indeed, they did. They successfully launched in India after, and as foreshadowed, the tequila owners’ star power augured them well.

THE LOCA LOKA COCKTAILS
I am a very simple cocktail guy — so my go-tos are gin tonic (Gin Mare), and rum cola (Pyrat Rum). But among all the spirits for cocktails I like tequila the most, as I like a classic Margarita, the colorful Tequila Sunrise and even the Tequini, which is basically a martini with tequila replacing gin. For this Loca Loka launch event, the organizers went extremely creative on their cocktail concoctions. I got these names and ingredients out of their cocktail menu for the event:

• Señorita Made from: Loca Loka Blanco, Manille Calamansi liqueur, rum, mezcal, banana tepache, banana oleo saccharum

• Colada Loka Made from: Loca Loka Reposado, Cocchi Americano (red Italian liqueur), Agua de Melon, Coconut, Calamansi

• Wild Fresco Made from: Loca Loka Blanco, Supasawa (a Belgian cocktail mixer), Elderflower, Green Chartreuse (a French herbal liqueur)

• Café Elote Made from: Loca Loka Reposado, Maiz Cold Brew, Nixta de Elote (a Mexican corn liqueur), Soda and Tonic Water

Unfortunately, I got to try only two of these concoctions, namely the Señorita and the Colada Loka. I love the Colada Loka: to me this is a slightly richer and more complex version of the rum-based Piña Colada. The queues to get a Loca Loka cocktail that evening were quite tedious, and it took between 30 and 45 mins to get a cocktail upon placing an order. Good thing there was another liberating way that took only a minute or two, and that was to take Loca Loka on the rocks or neat.

The Philippine debut at Solaire is more than a product showcase; it’s a statement. Manila’s cosmopolitan crowd will be among the first in Asia to taste a tequila that is both authentically Mexican and proudly Indian-owned. It’s a spirit that celebrates heritage while embracing the energy of a “crazy world or a crazy person (referred to in jest and not negative)” — the very meaning of Loca Loka in our local jargon!

Sherwin Lao is the first Filipino wine writer member of both Bordeaux-based Federation Internationale des Journalists et Ecrivains du Vin et des Spiritueux (FIJEV) and the UK-based Circle of Wine Writers (CWW). For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, wine consultancy and other wine related concerns, please e-mail the author at [email protected], or check his wine training website https://thewinetrainingcamp.wordpress.com/services/. Also check out his Youtube Channel www.youtube.com/@winecrazy.