What Is Agave Wine? And How Can I Use It in Cocktails?

In 2025, amid the ever-growing boom in agave spirits, we can assume most drinkers are familiar with tequila. Some more curious souls might have even dabbled in its slightly smoky cousin mezcal. And now spirits geeks are even developing interest in the world of sotol (made from the similar, but different Dasylirion plant). But for those looking to get into an even more obscure tequila-adjacent category, there’s agave wine.

Odds are you won’t be running into agave wine on your liquor store shelves tomorrow as it’s still a rarity in the States, but the product is slowly popping up in a few different settings. It acts as the base in some popular RTD Margaritas and is a new secret weapon for a few forward-thinking bartenders. So if you consider yourself an agave enthusiast, it’s time to get properly acquainted with the category.

Read on to learn more about agave wine, and how to use it at home.

What Is Agave Wine?

Behind every bottle of tequila is the noble Blue Weber agave plant. For tequila production, the plant is harvested and cooked, then the juice is extracted and fermented, converting the sugars into alcohol. The liquid is then distilled and diluted to the desired alcohol content — 40 percent ABV or higher. So what makes agave wine different? VinePair asked Madison Barker, a spirits expert from T. Edward, a wine and spirits importer that works with the Can de la Calle agave wine brand, to explain.

As the name suggests, agave wine is made from the same plant, but instead of distilling the product of the agave juice, the process stops after fermentation.

“Agave wine is typically made from the sweet sap, or aguamiel, of the agave plant, which is harvested from its heart, a.k.a. the piña,” Barker says. “This sap is packed with natural sugars and gets fermented to create a smooth, slightly sweet beverage.” The result is a liquid with a lower alcohol content than tequila or mezcal. For Can de la Calle, the first product after fermentation is about 7.5 percent ABV, then the liquid is fortified with the brand’s own tequila to an ABV closer to 20 percent. This gives it a body that more closely resembles wine, or even a fortified wine.

Barker explains that this product is thought to be a derivative of a traditional Mexican beverage called pulque. Pulque typically has a viscous, white appearance and a distinctly sour taste similar to kombucha, with an alcohol content similar to beer. She believes that today, agave wine is making a comeback in this style, as a lighter, easygoing way to enjoy agave flavors.

How Can I Use Agave Wine?

Iain Griffiths, co-owner of NYC’s buzzy new neighborhood cocktail haunt Bar Snack and self-proclaimed agave wine enthusiast, approaches agave wine similar to how they would approach sherry in both a drinking and mixing context.

While developing cocktails for the Bar Snack menu, Griffiths enjoyed experimenting with using agave wine as a split-base with tequila or mezcal to introduce some softer, sweeter flavors to a drink. Can de la Calle is currently featured in two signature drinks on the Bar Snack list including the Menage-a-Gave, its riff on a spritz made with strawberry, snap pea, Yola mezcal, agave wine, agave syrup, and sparkling wine; and the Good Gordo, which is similar to a spicy Margarita made with Rancho Gordo hot sauce. “It lets a more rounded level of heat and stone fruit shine through in the Good Gordo, as opposed to just being some driving singular note of heat,” Griffiths notes.

Agave wine can also be a great tool in lower-proof drinks. Since it delivers the same savory, vegetal agave-based notes as tequila with about half the alcohol content, it makes for a perfect low-ABV swap in traditional tequila cocktails without watering the drink down. “Its residual sugar makes it easier to work with, and means you’re not just mixing with watered- down tequila,” Griffiths says. “This still jumps out of the glass, lingers in a drink, and does everything you’d want from ‘unaged agave sherry.’”

*Image retrieved from jcfotografo via stock.adobe.com

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