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The Spirits Business PodcastAuthor: The Spirits Business
In this podcast series, Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of the worlds leading trade magazine for spirits, The Spirits Business, gives listeners insights into the journeys of people from across the industry who have achieved remarkable success. From brand founders and CEOs to award-winning bartenders, hospitality experts and non-profit leaders, each episode brings a unique perspective on the global spirits industry.In addition to personal storytelling, each episode aims to shed light on pressing issues within the spirits world, offer advice on everything from building a business to establishing work-life balance, and inspiration to pursue your career goals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Language: en Genres: Arts, Business News, Food, News Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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36. Maya Pistola: how Rakshay Dhariwal built India's first aged, 100% agave spirit after a fire nearly destroyed it all
Episode 36
Sunday, 4 January, 2026
Agave spirits have been a particularly hot commodity over the last decade. And in the last couple of years, countries outside of Mexico have looked to utilise their nations' agave supplies and create their own takes on agave spirits. Leading the charge in India is Maya Pistola, India’s first aged 100% agave spirit, which was founded by Rakshay Dhariwal, who’s originally a restaurateur by trade. However, Maya Pistola’s story very nearly ended before it had even begun when a fire destroyed its original distillery on the cusp of the brand’s launch. But Rakshay decided to take this test he’d been given, and double down on his belief that he was onto something really special. He tells me more about his journey, the development of what he’s calling ‘agavepura’, and his outlook for the future of the non-Mexican agave category.Keep up to date with the latest spirits and cocktail news from The Spirits Business here:https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/Follow along on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/spiritsbusiness/Keep updated on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/spirits-business/Follow along on X (formerly Twitter):https://x.com/spiritsbusinessFind us on Threads:https://www.threads.net/@spiritsbusinessTake a look at our videos on our YouTube channel:https://www.youtube.com/@TheSpiritsBusinessMagazineThe Spirits Business Podcast is hosted by Melita Kiely, editor-in-chief of The Spirits Business. This podcast episode was edited by Matchbox Motion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.







