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Loca Loka has entered the international alcoBev market, debuting its initial offerings — Tequila Blanco and Reposado. The brand, a product of Ironhill Hospitality, is backed by Indian film actor Rana Daggubati, musician and composer Anirudh Ravichander, along with Harsha Vadlamudi, Managing Partner of Ironhill India.
The brand is set to launch first in the US, followed by a series of launches worldwide, including in India, later this year. The US was chosen as the initial launchpad due to its appreciation for craft spirits, growing consumer trends, and a culturally diverse landscape, including a significant Indian diaspora to drive demographic synergy.
“We have always been fascinated with anything coming together by a fusion of cultures. The idea was to create a global brand. The US is a mature place where tequila is already a celebrated drink that has been around for over a decade. This will give us great insight in terms of playing amongst the world’s best in bringing that product out to different places,” Rana Daggubati told businessline.
The company has tied up with a Jalisco distillery. Tequila has a geotag which mandates its manufacturing, production, and bottling in Mexico. The brand began its production four months ago and is trying to tap into the mature markets in America. The tequilas will be available for sale in retail stores across New York, L.A., and New Jersey, with the launches timed for August. Initially, the brand is targeting the Indian diaspora as its entry point.
“In the first 12 months, we will target as many American markets as possible. By August, we will be in seven States max. American markets are just as regulated as in India. Around 20 States have free distribution networks, and 20 are either fully or semi-controlled by governments. We need to be very specific to get into those States,” said Harsha Vadlamudi, Managing Partner, Ironhill India.
He added that following the first year, the company intends to expand its market presence in the UK, GCC, APAC, Malaysia, Singapore, and Australia.
Loca Loka’s tequilas adhere to the global standard of Alcohol by volume (ABV) of 40 percent. The variants Blanco and Reposado each have distinct periods of aging, with Reposado being aged for three to six months. Blanco retails at $45.99, while Reposado has a shelf rate of $54.99. The company has a minimum target of selling 300,000 bottles in the first 12 months.
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