Agave Spirits’ Changing Place in Asia’s Bars｜What to Check on Bangkok’s Shelves

Agave spirits such as tequila and mezcal have long been seen as “drinks for shots.” Examples in Hong Kong and Singapore suggest that this perception is changing. Specialist bars in both cities carry more than 200 bottles, offering a starting point for learning about differences in raw materials and places of origin. Meanwhile, a 2024 article quoted the head of a Bangkok hotel bar describing tequila and mezcal as a “new trend.” This article draws on published figures and examples to consider how perceptions may be changing, and what Bangkok’s restaurants, bars and retailers can examine on their own shelves.

Global Agave Spirits Volumes Grew by 1% in 2024｜Against a Shrinking Alcohol Market

An annual report published by a British spirits industry magazine in December 2025, drawing on data from international drinks research company IWSR, reported that agave spirits volumes grew by 1% in 2024. According to the same report, the overall alcoholic drinks market contracted, while the tequila and mezcal market outperformed it.

One percent is a small increase. What deserves attention here, however, is not only volume but also interest in the range of agave varieties and expressions. In the same report, the head of a Mexican spirits company said that interest in exploring a broader range of agave varieties and expressions was growing in Europe and Asia. Reading this as growing interest in raw materials and places of origin, alongside volume growth of just 1%, is this article’s interpretation.

Asia’s Specialist Agave Bars｜What Shelves in Hong Kong and Singapore Reveal

In a May 2026 article, the organization behind a global bar ranking observed that agave-focused bars had proliferated over the previous five years, helping shift perceptions of mezcal and tequila from drinks for shots to respected spirits.

The same article features two bars in Asia. The Hong Kong venue carries more than 200 bottles, allowing guests to explore spirits from across Mexico, including bacanora, raicilla and sotol, the last of which is made from plants of the genus Dasylirion rather than agave. The Singapore venue has a combined list of more than 200 spirits made from various agave varieties and from rice. At the latter, agave spirits and rice spirits appear on the same list. Beyond the number of bottles, both venues offer a starting point for learning about differences in raw materials and places of origin.

There is also activity across the Asia-Pacific region. In April and May 2026, a mezcal brand from Oaxaca in southern Mexico held one-night events at bars in Kuala Lumpur and Auckland, two cities in the region. These were not permanent openings. Still, the fact that such events are taking place in cities across the region offers one indication of how interest is spreading.

Agave Spirits in Bangkok｜A “New Trend” in 2024

In March 2024, a British drinks industry magazine quoted the head of a Bangkok hotel bar describing tequila and mezcal as a new trend following the gin boom that began in the 1990s. The same person said that some guests still considered agave spirits “too strong,” so the bar was introducing them gradually.

This was one person’s observation from about two and a half years ago. The research for this article did not find material showing how many venues in Bangkok now, in 2026, have selections comparable to those in Hong Kong or Singapore. These sources do not establish where Bangkok currently stands relative to the other cities.

What Bangkok’s Restaurants, Bars and Retailers Can Check on Their Own Shelves

The Hong Kong and Singapore examples show agave selections being presented not simply as “strong liquor,” but as a starting point for understanding differences in raw materials and places of origin. This approach is close to the way sake and shochu have been explained through rice, water, koji and producers.

If you carry even one bottle of agave spirits, one approach is to see whether you can write three lines about it: its raw-material variety, place of origin and production method. Any detail that remains unclear offers a point for further research. Writing the same three lines for a bottle of sake or shochu and placing them side by side can show whether your explanations follow a consistent format across categories.

Spirits that some Bangkok guests perceived as “too strong” in 2024 are being presented through selections of more than 200 bottles in Hong Kong and Singapore in 2026. For a venue in Bangkok, a practical starting point is how clearly it can explain a single bottle on its own shelf.

This article is intended solely to explore the distillation techniques and cultural heritage of agave spirits and how they are presented in Asian bar culture, and does not aim to promote or encourage the consumption of alcohol.

บทความนี้จัดทำขึ้นเพื่อนำเสนอข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับเทคนิคการกลั่นและมรดกทางวัฒนธรรมของสุรากลั่นจากอากาเว่ และวิธีการนำเสนอในวัฒนธรรมบาร์ของเอเชียเท่านั้น มิได้มีเจตนาเพื่อส่งเสริมหรือโฆษณาเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ สำหรับผู้มีอายุ 20 ปีขึ้นไป โปรดดื่มอย่างรับผิดชอบ