Picture this: an expansive rooftop venue thrums with music and neon lights. Above, a sky full of stars. Below, a dance floor alive with people seeking an authentic human connection, and borders or barriers do not bind them. They’re drawn to quality, to reliability. Someone pours a round of tequila, the glasses rimmed with smoked salt. They toast, and sip.
It’s not just a party, it’s an intercultural gathering, a celebration.
It’s the “really real” experience that makes up the foundation of tequila’s bold new player, Loca Loka. In a modern age where younger generations of legal drinking age seek authenticity through the muddy noise of the status quo, Loca Loka is positioning itself as a sort of celebratory liquid bridge between tequila-loving cultures.
It’s a product that’s quintessentially Mexican, with cross-cultural ties to India. To Loca Loka, National Tequila Day is not just a toast to the spirit of tequila, but a toast to the rituals of the past and experiences to come.
Three Friends and a Vision for Tequila
The brand is founded and spearheaded by a trio of tequila enthusiasts whose track records in business and creativity speak for themselves. The Co-founders include acclaimed actor Rana Daggubati, hitmaking composer-producer Anirudh Ravichander, and dynamic entrepreneur Harsha Vadlamundi.
“Consumers are gravitating toward premium craft spirits, cocktail culture is exploding globally, and people want brands with substance behind them,” explains Daggubati. “We’ve positioned ourselves right at this sweet spot where tradition meets contemporary tastes. We aim to create a category for consumers who care about provenance, craftsmanship, and cultural integrity in what they drink.”
With plenty of experience in entrepreneurial ventures and a shared passion for cultural traditions and tequila, the Loca Loka founders saw a shift happening in the tequila landscape right before their eyes. It was becoming the “spirit du jour” among a new generation of drinkers who seek exploration and seasoned experts alike, and the market trends reflect this phenomenon.
Tequila has become one of the fastest-growing spirit categories globally, and in the US, even amidst a volume fall for other spirits, tequila’s popularity has continued to rise. For the founders, it was the clearest path forward to make an impact, thus Loca Loka was born.
Tradition with Intention
Like all good tequila, Loca Loka starts as a mature blend of agave grown in the fields of Jalisco, Mexico. After being skillfully harvested, the agave hearts are cooked and crushed by rollers or screw mills, which is a traditional method called milling. Once the nectar is extracted, it is fermented, producing the base spirit for the tequila.
The spirit is then double-distilled in pot stills using time-honored methods that remove impurities and preserve the agave’s inherent character.
Daggubati says: “The result is something that honors Mexico’s terroir while introducing flavor notes that resonate with Indian palates. When you taste it, you get that clean agave foundation, but there’s this subtle warmth and complexity that speaks to how Indians experience celebration — bold, aromatic, memorable.”
A Cross-Cultural Celebration
At the heart of Loca Loka is this connection between Mexican heritage and Indian culture. Tequila itself is traditional and unique to Mexico, but Loca Loka has mixed up the game by adding Indian flourishes, such as the bottle’s illustrative and geometric graphics, as well as the name itself: “loca” is Spanish for crazy, and “loka” is Sanskrit for world. The two cultures share many touchstones: bold, spice-forward palettes, colorful aesthetics, the honoring of family, and of course, communal dining and drinking, which is why a spirit like tequila is a great avenue to explore this intercultural dynamic.
Loca Loka is uniquely positioned to capture the attention of adventurous young consumers in the U.S., where interest in global spirits is rising. As young consumers look beyond familiar options like vodka and whiskey, Loca Loka offers an exciting and fresh introduction to tequila.
Loca Loka’s current offerings include a rounded Blanco with fruity and floral flavors featuring a distinct aroma of cooked agave along with a subtle earthy midpalate. Crisp and clean, the Blanco has a rounded finish that makes it easy to sip, and was awarded a Gold medal by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC) and a Silver medal at the New York International Spirits Competition.
The Reposado, meanwhile, has been rested for several months in oak, its age showing in its pale gold color. With a longer maturation comes a richer aroma made more complex through the use of French and American oak barrel influence. A balanced palate of oak and fruity flavors finishes with a rich, lingering mouthfeel that makes it ideal for sipping neat. Loca Loka’s Reposado also won a Gold medal at the New York International Spirits Competition and Silver at SFWSC. It also won Silver at the WSWA Wine and Spirits Tasting Competition.
Ravichander says the flavors illustrate the fusion between Indian and Mexican cultures, “each known for their warmth, colour and festive energy,” in a process that “delivers a refined harmony of sweetness and spice.” And they aren’t just for sipping neat: Daggubati’s current favorite cocktails are a Picante using the Blanco, and a classic tequila Old Fashioned with the Reposado.
The Future is Loca
The tequilas are the culmination of what Ravichander calls “a series of small victories that kept building momentum.” For the co-founders, watching their vision translate into reality was intensely gratifying.
“The early days were intense,” says Ravichander. “We’d sit in endless planning sessions, mapping out every possible scenario from supply chain hiccups to market reception.”
The cultural synthesis of Loca Loka has piqued the interest of consumers and investors alike, with incoming funding rapidly accelerating Loca Loka’s expansion timeline. Seeing it strike a chord has also been a great win for the team, as Ravichander explains: “It’s validating to see that our instinct about cross-cultural appeal was right. Each market entry feels like flexing a muscle we’ve been building. We’re getting better at reading consumer responses, adapting our approach, and staying true to our core vision.”
With eyes on the future, Daggubati says geographic expansion is the immediate focus. UK, India, Dubai, the Philippines, and Indonesia are next to join the Republic of Loca Loka. And in the coming months, consumers can expect to see the launches of an Añejo, an Extra Añejo Edition, and a Founders Edition.
This National Tequila Day, we tip our hats and toast a drink to the trendsetters blurring borders and blending traditions. The best spirits are the ones we share, and we’re raising a glass to a tequila born from two cultures and crafted for every kind of celebration.
This article is sponsored by Loca Loka.
