On a sultry Saturday evening in May, I took the elevator to the 18th floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Pune, home to Agave Lounge, touted as India’s first bar dedicated entirely to agave spirits. Opened in January 2025, the plush, mood-lit space overlooks the city’s skyline and neighbouring golf course. Most guests had gravitated to the hotel’s rooftop bar, Aasmana, leaving Agave Lounge surprisingly quiet.It only reinforced the question I had come to answer: Is India ready for a bar built around a single spirit?
The Agave Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton, Pune
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According to the IWSR, India is among the world’s fastest-growing markets for agave spirits. The category recorded 31% year-on-year volume growth and 40% value growth in 2024–25, while sales more than tripled in just four years. Driven by premiumisation and an increasingly sophisticated cocktail culture, tequila has evolved far beyond the sugary shots that once defined it.Yet agave remains widely misunderstood. Tequila, made exclusively from Blue Weber agave, can only be produced in designated regions of Mexico under a geographical indication (GI). Mezcal, also protected by a denomination of origin, can be distilled from dozens of agave species across specific Mexican states and is often characterised by its smoky profile. Agave itself is the umbrella category — a family of more than 200 species from which tequila, mezcal and other spirits are distilled.The menu at Agave Lounge features six agave cocktails, each priced at ₹1,200 plus taxes. I began with Cacyas, a bright blend of tequila, watermelon cordial, grapefruit, Aperol, St-Germain and lemon juice that balanced citrus, bitterness and floral notes without overwhelming the spirit. Penca, made with tequila, grated coconut, tonka bean and ginger, was richer and more textured, while the standout, Quiote, layered mezcal with smoky, tropical and tart notes in a clarified cocktail that demonstrated just how nuanced agave can be.
