This is it. The ultimate report. What India is Drinking 2023. The first edition of a planned annual survey of the best-selling alcobev brands in India’s top bars. This survey is in many ways an extension of 30BestBarsIndia, our annual bar ranking platform and awards show that honours the best bars in the country, which is in its fourth edition this year.  

While 30BestBarsIndia‘s origins lay in the need for a platform to celebrate the remarkable evolution of the Indian bar industry over the last decade, What India is Drinking 2023 is a deep dive into understanding the rapid rise in premiumisation in the drinks industry in India, as seen through the preferences of bar enthusiasts.   

Based on a survey of bar owners, bartenders and bar managers, this exhaustive and extensive report looks at the sales pattern of major brands across 20 categories in the premium, on-premise segment in alcohol and non-alcoholic categories, spread over 125 bars in leading metros in the country.  

Here, we’ll deep dive into a new spirit each day with a list of top 10 brands ruling that segment. First up, Agave.  

This is a category of alcohol that is fast finding its feet in India, not just in terms of consumption, but also in the emergence of local brands. Jose Cuervo tops the list which features eight Tequila brands, and interestingly, two Indians, Pistola and Desmondji.
Hold onto your glasses because Agave is the name that’s setting the spirit world ablaze in India. In fact, some folks are already swapping their juniper for a touch of desert magic. Agave today is poised where Gin was five years ago – readying itself for the top of the charts.

In this year’s list, our top 10 features Mexican and homegrown labels. Eight out of the 10 are tequila brands, with the other two being Indian Agave spirit brands. Mezcal therefore is yet to make a breakthrough into the Top 10, but hopefully around the corner. For the uninitiated, Agave is the plant from which Mezcal and Tequila are made. While Tequila can only be made from the Blue Weber Agave plant, Mezcal can be made from any kind of Agave. And the category of liquor made from them is usually characterised as Agave.

Jose Cuervo (#1) tops as the most popular brand. The over 250 years’ old brand has been at the forefront of innovations and collaborations, also experimenting with flavoured tequilas. Coming in second is Patron (#2). Its uniquely designed bottles make this brand one of the most widely recognisable and loved choices. Its smooth taste is a perfect choice for those new to the world of Agave. Next up, Camino (#3). Approachable and pocket-friendly, Camino is an attainable crowd favourite. The rest of the Top 10 feature Mexican favourites like 1800 (#4), Don Angel (#5), Codigo (#6), Corralejo (#8), and Don Julio (#10).
Despite the growth this sector has seen, the challenge of production and availability remains. In India especially, the available brands are limited to either lower or higher-end labels, with the middle ranges spanning around five to six brands. Still, local producers like DesmondJi (#9) have paced Agave’s steady growth, and with the development of Pistola (#7) in recent years, we’ve seen the rise of premium local brands.

It’s good to note, though, that Agave has moved on from being considered a drink for shots – though some nightclubs may have you believe otherwise. Now, Agave popularly appears in the form of cocktails – especially in the premium space as well as a sipping spirit.

The growing popularity of Mexican restaurants with matching cocktail programmes, as well as Agave-focused bars is indicative of the fact that at some point in the future, Agave will start to make a mark for itself that will sustain the category for years to come.