Agave Spirit Worldwide
Agave Spirit Around the World
Agaves have long since stopped growing only in Mexico. In California, South Africa, Australia, Peru and India, distinct agave spirits are being made, but none of them may be called Tequila or Mezcal, no matter how similar the process is.
Why the Name Stays Behind
The protection of origin for Tequila, via the Lisbon Agreement, extends far beyond Mexico. Almost everywhere in the world, the rule holds: only spirits from the Mexican protected zone may bear that name. Producers elsewhere must therefore turn to a different name. This applies even if they grow the same agave species and distill in a very similar way. Internationally, the umbrella term "Agave Spirit" has become established for this.
There's no shared standard like NOM-006 or NOM-070 for "Agave Spirit." Each producer sets their own process. The term therefore comes across more as an honest self-description. It states openly: this is not Tequila and not Mezcal, but a distinct agave spirit in its own right.
California, South Africa and Australia
In California, the distillery Ventura Spirits grows its own Agave tequilana. Their fields lie in Glen Annie Canyon near Goleta. The harvest becomes an Agave Spirit called "Tecolote." In South Africa, several brands like Leonista or La Tierra Agave use the hardy agaves of the Karoo semi-desert. That region's dry climate is remarkably similar to the Mexican highlands.
In Australia, the brand "Act of Treason" has agaves grown in Queensland processed. Distillation happens in classic copper pot stills. All three examples show the same pattern: the plant now grows on several continents. Only the protected name remains tied to Mexico. Buyers often recognize such Agave Spirits by the price. Small harvest volumes drive costs well above those of many mass-market Tequilas.
Peru and India: Two Young Projects
In Peru, entrepreneur Marco Suárez developed the brand "Aqará" starting in 2016. His operation is located in the Andean town of Caraz, at over two thousand meters elevation. Instead of the Mexican earthen pit, he uses stainless steel vessels to steam-cook the agaves. In India, Desmond Nazareth brought the first Indian agave spirit to market in 2011 with "DesmondJi."
DesmondJi is made from semi-wild agaves growing on the Deccan Plateau. It's bottled in the state of Goa, produced in a small distillery in neighboring Andhra Pradesh. Peru and India show just how far the idea of the agave spirit has traveled from its Mexican origin. Nevertheless, neither project attempts to call itself "Tequila." Both distilleries are still young. Their volumes remain small so far compared to the global Tequila market.
Why Distillers Voluntarily Take a Different Path
Not every one of these producers would even need to resort to a substitute name. Some could, in theory, try to acquire a license for the Mexican name or export their harvest there. Almost none of them do. The reason often lies in their own aspiration: these distilleries don't want to produce an imitation of Mexican tradition, but rather something that suits their own climate, their own agave, and their own signature style.
There's also an economic reason. Genuine imported Tequila is expensive in many countries due to tariffs and long supply chains. A locally grown and distilled Agave Spirit avoids these costs. At the same time, it creates its own regional story that's compelling to tell. For small distilleries, that often counts for more than a big but foreign brand name.
A Shared Trait Despite No Protection
As different as these projects are across four continents, they all respect the same boundary. None of them calls its product Tequila or Mezcal. That's partly due to the legal situation. But it's just as much due to the self-understanding of producers who want to follow their own, local path. This shows that protection of origin has an effect even where it couldn't be legally enforced at all.
For buyers, the name "Agave Spirit" therefore means, above all, one thing: something distinct is being created here. The plant originally comes from Mexico. But it's now cultivated and distilled worldwide.