Tequila Isn't Popular In India. A Movie Star And Musician Are Trying To Change That
Actor Rana Daggubati and musician Anirudh have launched India's first celebrity tequila with Harsha Vadlamudi (not pictured).
Traditionally, tequila hasn't been popular in India. The nation is the world's largest consumer of whiskey, which accounts for close to 70% of spirit sales in the country. Tequila sales have historically lagged, but interest in the Mexican spirit is increasing, and tequila is now the fastest-growing alcohol segment in India.
Two of India's biggest stars are trying to intensify that trend with India's first celebrity tequila, Loca Loka, which is available in the U.S. and India. The brand is a partnership between actor Rana Daggubati and musician Anirudh. Daggubati is known for his roles in modern classics of Indian cinema including the Baahubali series of films, which are among the highest grossing Indian films of all time. He also stars in the Netflix series Rana Naidu, an adaptation of the show Ray Donovan. Meanwhile, Anirudh is one of Spotify's top-streamed artists, is known for viral hits like 'Why This Kolaveri Di' and 'Vaathi Coming.'
The entertainment stars are also working with Harsha Vadlamudi, a brewery owner and entrepreneur. During a Zoom call, the trio told me how Loca Loka tequila is steeped in their passion for this spirit.
'Most of us are extreme consumers that have become creators,' Daggubati says. 'In my life I've watched a lot of films. So I'm making the films that I've watched and I like. Anirudh has heard so much music in his life, he's creating music. And we got someone like Harsha, who's living his dream in the manner of consuming and creating.'
Daggubati adds, 'across each industry, film music, F&N [food and beverage] all of us came together, and we've all been fans of tequila, and we've understood that there is a niche, and we thought that this was a niche that we could build [on].'
Traditionally, Anirudh says Indian drinking culture has been all about whiskey. 'Generation after generation, that's how it's been, but I feel like the new generation now, especially the younger people, are shifting to tequila.'
The first step to creating Loca Loka was developing a quality product.
'We visited almost 10 to 12 distillers around us and also around Tequila and Guadalajara. In the highlands, lowlands, and everywhere,' Vadlamudi says. 'Each distiller actually created around 6 to 8 profiles for us. So we had to narrow that down. There were around 100 to 120 profiles, we tasted.'
Actor Rana Daggubati and musician Anirudh (center) have launched India's first celebrity tequila with Harsha Vadlamudi (left).
Anirudh says this process was intense and immersive by design. 'Rana and I also were lucky enough to go there to our distillery to go through the process to meet the family who is making it for us [and learn] how they produce it. So there was a lot of due diligence, which was done before we got into it, and I think that is the right way to do it as well. We don't want to be just the first Indian tequila brand out there. We had to make sure that we got to do this right.'
The finished products are made from 100% pure agave that is naturally fermented with a special yeast strain. The reposado is aged on French and American oak barrels for several months. Both have wide complexities of flavor, and are sure appeal to tequila fans in both the U.S. and India. The blanco tequila recently won a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and the reposado took home a silver medal.
Daggubati is particularly proud of the reposado. 'There's never enough every time there's a party at home,' he says. He adds his favorite cocktail is now a reposado Old Fashioned and that the reposado is acting as a gateway for whiskey drinkers interested in exploring tequila. 'We've been able to convert a large set of whiskey drinkers into reposado drinkers,' Daggubati says. 'That happened very organically and quickly. There's always been a finesse associated with whiskey in some manner, artisanship in some form, which I think the reposado brings out very beautifully.'
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