Interest in agave spirits, specifically tequila, has been growing in other countries worldwide, and Malaysia — Photos: MICHAEL CHEANG/The Star
Tequila has had a pretty good 2025 in Malaysia. From new products and masterclasses, to the country’s first ever tequila festival, the spirit made some serious inroads into the market over the last year.
Here are a few of the notable events and launches that happened over the past couple of months.
In October, I was invited by the Embassy of Mexico in Kuala Lumpur to attend a tequila masterclass conducted by Gabriela Canedo, one of only nine individuals in the world recognised as a Tequila Connoisseur by the Mexican National Chamber of the Tequila Industry.
Canedo is one of only nine individuals in the world recognised as a ‘Tequila Connoisseur’.
During the session, which was also graced by the presence of Ambassador of Mexico to Malaysia, Luis Javier Campuzano Pina, Canedo offered an insight into the cultural, historical, and artisanal richness of tequila.
She also conducted a tasting of three unique tequilas – Hacienda de Tepa (Aged), Envuelto Reposadon (Aged), 30-30 Añejo (Extra Aged), all of which are not currently available in Malaysia.
Speaking of tequilas available here, popular brand Don Julio made a splashy return to the country recently with a couple of events, including launching a mini version of its ultra premium 1942 expression.
The brand’s global brand ambassador Karina Sanchez was also in KL in October, and during an interview, she explained the brand’s expressions and philosophy.
Although she has only been with Don Julio for the past four years, she has over 18 years of experience in education and advocacy, being a Certified Maestra Tequilera by the Mexican Academy of Tequila and Mezcal, and an award-winning Tequila Woman recognised by the Mexican Tequila Chamber.
Sanchez says one of the major shifts in tequila culture is how versatile it has become in terms of how it is consumed.— Photo: Handout
According to her, the reason she and many others like her stay in the industry for so long is because “tequila has some magic”.
“Tequila brings a lot of Mexico (to the world) – the Mexican spirit, the cultural heritage. It is the biggest representative of the Mexican culture and our national identity,” she said.
“Part of the magic is having this rich cultural heritage that is very rooted in tradition, but also combining it with modern luxury and the trendiest of experiences,” she said.
The Don Julio portfolio currently available in Malaysia comprises the Blanco, Reposado, Anejo, and the Don Julio 1942.
Blanco is a unaged spirit that Sanchez says gives you the “essence of tequila”.
“The agave plant itself has many different aromas and flavours that that are going to be present in the liquid. What we want to achieve in Don Julio Blanco is to keep the essence of the agave,” she said, adding that fresh agave smells like fresh cut grass, and is very herbal, and sometimes vegetal.
The mini Don Julio 1942 makes for a nice little gift for a first-time tequila drinker. — Photo: Handout
According to her, Don Julio grows its agave in Jalisco, and a very high portion of it in the highlands, where their distilleries are located. The area’s red clay soil gives the agave spirit a citrusy profile and fruity flavour, which is the defining characteristic for Don Julio tequilas.
In her 18 years working with tequila, Sanzhez says that the biggest change she has seen is how big the industry has grown.
“One of the biggest things today is how popular it has become and how many celebrities are acquiring tequila brands. It has become a very cool and trendy category,” she said, adding that this has also helped boost its perception among consumers.
“We have had amazing collaborations with celebrities, and I think that it definitely helps. In the end, these celebrities inspire other people around them to try the liquid, to taste that flavour, and this is very positive for the brands.”
Another major change she has seen in the industry is the versatility of tequila and how it is consumed.
“When I started, we were talking only about margaritas, maybe Paloma sometimes. Never about tequila in a martini, or an espresso martini,” she said,
“Cocktail culture has been growing, and you even have agave bars now. I have seen like a huge emotion and fascination for the agave spirits. The agave plant itself becomes very magical in that way,” she said.
“It has been evolving throughout the years, and now you can see tequila, especially with Don Julio, in the most relevant cultural moments in different countries.
“I also think that part of the magic of the category is that it has the flexibility to play in different cultures, to adapt, and be adapted to the different traditions.”
The Agave Affair event was held at Undisclosed Location in Petaling Jaya.
If the inaugural Agave Affair tequila and mezcal festival last Saturday was anything to go by, Malaysians certainly seemed to have taken to tequila in a big way.
Held at Undisclosed Location in Petaling Jaya, Selangor the event featured over 50 brands of tequila and mezcal for punters to sample, ranging from commercial brands such as Codigo, Don Julio, 1800, and Patron, to more artisanal ones as well.
The highlights for me were the 1800 Cristalino, Codigo Rosa, G4 Reposado, and Bruxo No. 5 Tobala mezcal. Those colourful Taco Tuesday bottles were really cute too.
My main takeaway from this festival, however, was the fact that there are so many tequila brands now in the Malaysian market, and that a vast majority of them are 100% pure agave tequilas as well.
If this upward trajectory continues next year, we’re going to need a bigger space for the next Agave Affair.
One brand that was conspicuous by its absence at Agave Affair was Clase Azule, which is best known for its distinctive handmade ceramic bottles.
The ultra premium brand recently launched its latest expression, the Clase Azul Tequila Blanco Ahumado, at an event at Sushi Bell, KL.
The Clase Azul Ahumado (right), alongside its better-known Reposado sibling.
While the Ahumado is an unaged blanco tequila, it is has a distinct smokiness that sets it apart from Clase Azul’s core Plata expression, hence the name, which means “smoked” in Spanish.
The smokiness comes from the way the agave for this tequila is cooked slowly in a pit oven lined with firewood and volcanic stone, which imparts subtle notes of smoke.
On the nose, the smokiness is quite pleasant, bonding well with the herbaceous agave notes. On the palate, the smoke is more in the background, as the grassy, slightly citrusy nature of the unaged agave spirit comes through quite powerfully, though the smoke takes over finally in the long lingering finish.
Michael Cheang thinks agave is a gift worth giving. Follow him on Instagram (@mytipsyturvy) and Facebook (fb.com/mytipsyturvy).
