Beyond Mexico: Maya Pistola promotes agave spirits from India
Maya Pistola is a spirit that is not imitating Tequila, but building agavepura – a new, additive-free agave category that positions India as a serious contender in premium spirits.
For more than half a century, the global agave story has been written with an (almost) singular accent. Jalisco, and more recently Oaxaca, have dominated the narrative, shaping not only how agave spirits are made, but how they are understood, regulated and consumed.
Tequila and mezcal have grown from regional traditions into global powerhouses, together forming a premium spirits segment now valued well beyond US$11 billion (with the market values coming in as US$640 million for mezcal, according to Future Market Insights, and US$10.53 billion for Tequila, according to Grand View Research, with Tequila consistently ranking among the fastest-growing premium categories worldwide.
Yet with growth has come strain. Agave shortages, monoculture risk, rising costs, industrialised production methods as well as increasing scrutiny around additives have created a moment of reckoning. As consumers and the trade become more educated, the conversation has shifted towards provenance, purity and transparency.
Around this interest, markets outside of Mexico have looked to their own agave supplies and climates, and cultures, and added their unique takes on agave spirit to the growing excitement. Maya Pistola is a prime example of this innovation.
The brand endeavours to be the architect of a new global agave category, called ‘agavepura’. India’s history is linked closely to agave plants, which were imported to the country by Queen Victoria to stop sacred cows wandering onto the newly built railways.
“Maya Pistola Agavepura ushers in a new breed of agave distillates,” explains co-founder Rakshay Dhariwal, “one whose premise is based on absolute purity.”
Agavepura, as defined by Maya Pistola, is deliberately simple in its construction and uncompromising in its standards. It refers to agave spirits produced outside of Mexico that are made from 100% agave and entirely free from additives – no flavouring agents, no glycerine, no colouring, no industrial shortcuts.
Maya Pistola is the brainchild of sibling founders Rakshay and Radhika Dhariwal. When the pandemic hit in 2020, the restaurateurs decided to spend some of their new-found time working on bringing something new and exciting to the market. “Maya Pistola doesn’t pretend to be Tequila,” Dhariwal states. “It represents an Indian agave spirit with its own source, its own terroir, and its own story. That’s why it’s resonating internationally. It’s not a novelty, but a high-quality liquid rooted in authenticity.”
Why the global agave market is ready for expansion
Tequila’s rise over the past decade has been extraordinary. Total Tequila exports exceeded more than 402.1 million in 2024, with revenue for exports to the US up by 509% between 2004 to 2024 (Distilled Spirits Council of the US). Mezcal, once niche, continues to post growth in value, particularly in on-trade and specialist retail.
What is often overlooked is that agave itself is not geographically exclusive to Mexico. Species such as Agave Americana have been naturalised across large parts of the world for centuries, including India, where agave was introduced during the colonial era and flourished across the arid highlands of the Deccan Plateau.
Pistola’s emergence aligns with a broader shift in India’s global spirit narrative. Historically known as one of the world’s largest spirits markets by volume, India is now establishing itself as a credible exporter of premium spirits.
The Indian spirits export market is set to surpass US$1 billion in the coming years (The Economic Times), an increase of 208% (as the export market was valued at US$325 million from 2023 to 2024). This surge has been led primarily by Indian single malts, but Maya Pistola represents the next phase of this evolution by introducing a new category to the country.
At the heart of Pistola is wild-growing Agave Americana, harvested only once it reaches full maturity, typically between eight and 14 years. These plants grow across the Deccan Plateau, developing a sugar profile distinct from Blue Weber agave: drier, more vegetal, and inherently complex.
Once harvested, the agave hearts are steam-cooked to convert natural sugars, then fermented slowly before being double-distilled in a part-copper pot still.
“We retain only the heart,” Dhariwal explains. “Heads and tails bring undesirable characteristics. Our goal is clarity and structure – not excess.”
The resulting distillate is recognisably agave-led, but unmistakably different from Tequila. Following distillation, Pistola’s spirit is transported to Goa, where it matures by the coast under conditions that fundamentally shape its character. Heat, humidity, saline air and seasonal monsoons all play an active role.
“These elementals are absolutely central to the identity of Pistola,” smiles Dhariwal. “India’s climate is our co-maker of the spirit.”
Higher temperatures accelerate the interaction between spirit and wood, while humidity and salinity influence evaporation and concentration. Monsoon cycles introduce seasonal nuance, requiring constant monitoring to avoid over-extraction while allowing nature to express itself.
“It’s not a challenge in a negative sense,” Dhariwal adds. “It’s our super power. This is why Pistola tastes like India.”
Expressions designed to build understanding
Pistola’s range aims to showcase how the spirit develops through time and maturation. Each expression is designed to highlight a different strength of the agave spirit while educating the drinker.
The Joven expression blends both unaged and lightly aged spirits to showcase the agave’s character in its purest form. The Reposado introduces gentle wood influence through short ageing in ex-Bourbon and new American oak casks, rounding the edges while maintaining vibrancy. The Añejo, aged for more than a year in new American white oak, delivers deeper notes of cinnamon, toffee and caramel, often described as ‘liquid Christmas cake’. At the pinnacle sits the Extra Añejo, matured for more than 30 months in new American white oak, and finished in ex-Bourbon casks, developing layers of spice, raisin and toasted oak, with clear agave flavours.
“We treat barrels as a finishing school,” says Dhariwal. “Each expression reveals a different dimension of the spirit.”
The bottle design mirrors the liquid’s philosophy, and each bottle in the range recently took Gold medals in The Design & Packaging Masters at The Global Spirits Masters Competitions. With its distinctive square bottle and embossed glass, the packaging’s typography nods to vintage Indian postal signage. The judges at The Design & Packaging Masters said they “loved the modern and slightly quirky bottle designs”.
“We wanted the bottle to feel timeless,” Dhariwal comments. “Distinctive on the shelf, beautiful on a back bar, and confident without shouting.”
Pistola’s journey has not always been smooth-sailing, however. Founded by Dhariwal, the brand suffered a near-fatal blow in 2021 when a fire destroyed part of the distillery just days before its planned launch. But rather than retreat, the team rebuilt and regrouped in Goa in 2022.
That resolve has been rewarded. Pistola has since collected more than 54 international awards, including Double Gold at the SIP Awards, recognition at IWSC and The Asian Spirits Masters, and most recently Spirit of the Year – India at the USA Spirits Ratings 2025.
In 2024, the brand’s credibility was further cemented when Diageo’s India arm, United Spirits, took a strategic stake, signalling strong confidence in Pistola’s authenticity and global export potential. This was further cemented when The Whisky Exchange took the brand on, creating a dedicated agavepura category, and launched the brand across both brick-and-mortar stores and online in November 2025.
Pistola’s UK launch via The Whisky Exchange and The Whisky Exchange Trade marks a pivotal moment, not just for the brand, but for agavepura as a category. The UK is one of Europe’s most sophisticated markets, with a trade audience already fluent in Tequila and mezcal.
Pistola hopes to recreate that interest globally – and not just for itself as a brand, but for the agavepura category as a whole.
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