Mezcal

The Dazzling Spirit

The Indian palate is seeking out exotic spirits from Mexico and South American countries thanks to their complexity of flavour and a penchant for combining sour with piquant tastes. UpperCrust tracks the trend of mezcal and other spirits heating up the domestic bar scene

Text: Priya Pathiyan

Art at Mezcalita

Our eyes traverse vivid reds and lime greens, pausing to take in the stripes and meaningful murals by Mexican artist Senkoe, finally coming to rest on the bottles of small-batch tequila, mezcal, and agave offerings. We are at Mezcalita, the vibrant new Mexican cantina and tequila bar in Bombay, where the air is thick with aromas of smoky mezcal and zesty lime.

Mezcalita offers an extensive selection of tequila and mezcal, with over 30 varieties on its menu, and a range of exciting cocktails that incorporate tequila and mezcal in unique ways, along with classic Mexican drinks like margaritas and palomas. They do margarita towers, pitchers and ‘Mezcalised’ classics, too.

A few kms away, at Cafe Panama, Lower Parel, Shaan Gidwani, Founder and Managing Director, Acapella Hospitality, introduces us to the complexity of La Menta, a mezcal-laced take on a classic Negroni that is one of the many agave-based cocktails served at his cosy tequila bar. Gidwani was an early mover when it came to recognising the lean towards Latin American flavours.

Then there’s pisco, any un-aged brandy as they call it, made from Peruvian grapes.Koi Bar at The St. Regis Mumbai does a refreshing Pisco Tonic and a punchy Pisco Sour (among several cocktails incorporating South American spirits), which has the thumbs-up from people from the Peruvian embassy, the country where pisco is considered the national drink.

Yangdup Lama, one of India’s most celebrated mixologists and owner of Delhi’s award-winning Sidecar, whose creations have been slurped up (literally) by cocktail enthusiasts across the country, has noted the rise and rise of the Latin American spirits, too.

He first started using mezcal in his drinks about two to three years ago. He agrees that mezcal has been steadily moving up the charts of late across India. He observes that since the spirit is imported, it becomes a premium offering. But, in his experience, people have been open to trying it and spending more on it because it has that certain air of the exotic. “One of the things is that there’s been a strong inclination for bartenders to use a lot of regional or indigenous spirits. It makes the cocktail really unique, and also gives you a chance to deviate from the regular,” he says, explaining that when you’re using agave or tequila or pisco, you don’t have to stick with the tried and tested popular drinks. “With the mainstream spirits, you’re restricted to being more classical in terms of mixing, etc. But with lesser-known spirits or ones that are more indigenous, it gives you a completely new platform to work with, offers an opportunity to explore newer horizons,” says Lama.

We ask serial restaurateur, Vicky Singh, partner at Mezcalita, about the genesis of this bang-on-trend bar in partnership with Dope Coffee wiz Rizwan Amlani. “While it so happened that tequila and mezcal were gaining popularity globally around the same time, this was not our primary motivation for opening the restaurant. We wanted to do a Mexican restaurant and since these spirits are an essential part of Mexican cuisine, we decided to incorporate them into our restaurant/bar. But yes, when I opened Sanchos in Bandra back in 2008, people only knew of margaritas and drinking tequila as shots. And now in 2023… the mezcal industry is growing by leaps and bounds,” observes Singh.

He avers that tequila today is a far cry from the shots that everyone associated it with in the last few decades. All tequila is mezcal, while all mezcal is not tequila. In fact, tequila is to mezcal what champagne is to bubbly. Meaning that it’s mezcal made from a particular type of blue agave mainly grown in the Jalisco, Colima, Nayarit, and Aguascalientes regions of Mexico, and yes, where the town of Tequila is also located.

We’ve all enjoyed a tequila-laced margarita or imbibed it as a component of the very potent Long Island Iced Tea. But tequila itself and other mezcal variants are getting a lot of global attention of late. You will recall DesmondJi that was launched in the Indian market in 2012. While a number of Indian distillers hopped onto the gin-is-in trend, Desmond Nazareth set up DesmondJi in Goa as he saw the growing interest in agave spirits.

Agaavé, a vibrant bar that opened in Vagator, Goa, in late June 2023 is already making its presence felt with its stunning Mexican murals and tequila cocktails. Sofie Goncharova, who has partnered with restaurateur, Kunal Pathak, to open Agaavé, says, “We are pouring Villa Vercelli Silver Tequila, which is from the Jalisco area in Mexico. Its clean and balanced taste gives you a sense of pure agave.” Some of their concoctions complement the agave perfectly in taste and origin, like Unique Paloma which is made with jalapeño syrup, or Piña del Oro, which blends tequila with honey and tepache, a drink made by fermenting pineapple peel. Goncharova confides that they are also building up a formidable collection of mezcal for the cocktails that they will introduce next.

The statistics of this growing trend in such spirits speak for themselves. According to the Mezcal Regulatory Council, the production of mezcal has increased by 200% in the past decade. As more people become interested in mezcal, there is a burgeoning market for restaurants and bars that specialise in mezcal cocktails.

What’s so special about mezcal that it is being considered a serious contender for gin’s spot on our barscape? “It’s gained popularity among bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts – a versatile spirit that can be used in a variety of cocktail recipes, from classic drinks like margaritas to more complex concoctions. The distinctive smoky flavour pairs well with other ingredients like citrus, herbs, and spices which the Indian palate loves,” Singh says.

In fact, one of Lama’s favourite drinks (to mix as well as to drink himself) is the Acapulco, which blends aged mezcal or tequila with fresh citrus, passion fruit, and a touch of chilli. “Whenever I make it, I’ve never heard anybody say they didn’t like it!” laughs Lama, who prefers to use a Dalle chilli paste for this drink. The Dalle Khursani, which is cultivated in Sikkim and near Darjeeling (where Lama grew up) is considered one of the hottest chillies in the world with a Scoville rating of 1,00,000 to 3,50,000 SHU. The wow quotient of the cocktail is in the devilish details of how the chilli and the Mexican spirit combine in a way that is pure fire. And typically, one that gets the Indian palate salivating for more such drinks.

Even so, Lama explains that the interest in Central and South American spirits is not merely about their taste. “When I work with mezcal drinks, I look at the Mexican way of life, their culture and food habits. And that’s the reason why automatically, whether it is with the bartender or the consumer, the fact that it has a bit of spice, a bit of fruitiness, a more full-bodied drink, works. It’s more to do with the culture than just the drinking habits. It allows you to explore a new way of life and bring all those elements into your drink,” he points out.

Is the pumped-for-pisco and mad-for-mezcal trend a new tequila sunrise or merely a storm in a cocktail coupe? Only time will tell, but, for now, it’s a loud salud to the spirits of Central and South America in our glass.

To delve deeper into the trend, we had a chat with Radhika Dhariwal, co-founder of Passcode Hospitality, along with brother, Rakshay Dhariwal. She speaks about the growing importance of agave, the chief ingredient in the making of sprits such as tequila and mezcal. They are behind the PCO bars all over India. The Dhariwals have created the Maya Pistola brand of India’s first 100% aged agave.

With a hospitality footprint across multiple cities, you’re in a position to gauge the changing tastes of patrons. You’ve mentioned that Indians are taking to mezcal spirits and that in five years these will be an important segment of the market. Can you share any statistics that support this observation?

We have noticed the consumption of tequila and mezcal increase drastically in the last few years. Earlier tequila was mainly consumed as a shooter, but today people are opting for tequila and mezcal in their cocktails, on ice, with soda, and neat. In our bars such as PCO and Saz, the consumption of these spirits has more than doubled in the last couple of years, specifically in the premium segment.

Why do you think they appeal to Indians? Who are the guests that are choosing more of them – can we bracket them by age, gender, income group, whisky drinkers, beer drinkers, etc?

Well-travelled, open-minded and aware patrons are the ones that are opting for agave spirits. So far, we have noticed this trend in the well-to-do over 30s, who are very plugged in to what is current and trending in the world. Also, the fact that 100% agave has a robust and sharp, clean flavour and is a healthier option to other spirits as it is lower in calories, glycemic index and is gluten-free, has made it more and more popular. What is interesting about agave is that the variations have something for everybody. Whisky drinkers opt for our 100% Agave Reposados and Anejos; whereas gin and vodka drinkers are opting for 100% Agave Blancos and Jovens. We have also seen women gravitate towards Rosas, which are aged in wine barrels.

Your Pistola is made from agave that grows on the Deccan Plateau. Does the terroir and technique change the flavour profile from traditional mezcal? If yes, how?

Traditional mezcal has a smoky flavour because of the way it is cooked in a tahona; Maya Pistola Agavepura is not smoked. This 100% agave spirit from India showcases the natural raw and cooked notes of the wild agave Americana that it is made from. The terroir of the Deccan, especially the arid climate and rich volcanic soil, is quite similar to the conditions in the highlands of agave-growing Mexico; however, of course, the particular minerality of the product and the way it is cooked, distilled and barrel-aged makes it a unique spirit. Also, we are very proud that all the variants of Pistola are made with zero additives and artificial colouring so the liquid that you are drinking is as pure as possible. This also means that it has the least chances of causing a hangover.

To what do you ascribe the sudden global popularity of South American and Mexican liquors?

Of course, the celebrity rush on tequila and agave is one of the causes. From George Clooney to The Rock to Kendall Jenner, many celebrities have recently launched tequila brands of their own. But, when you actually consider why this is, you begin to understand the depth of the spirit. Not only is it a healthier alternative to other drinks, it has a crisp flavour profile and mouthfeel that goes beautifully in cocktails or drunk neat. It also pairs surprisingly well with food. And as 100% agave is getting better and better known as a cleaner and elevated choice of drink, this trend is only expected to continue.

Maharashtra is also rich in sugarcane. Is there scope to distill other South American liquors like Cachaça or Aguardiente here? Is that something you would consider? Will that be the next wave?

Absolutely! India is just seeing the beginning of its craft spirit wave. From using sugarcane to create types of rums and cachaça to using mahua to make liqueur, everything is possible and is happening. What exactly will be the next big spirit movement? It is hard to say. But, one thing is sure and that is that there is interest and a market for all of them. Not only in India, but outside the country as well.