Where Goa’s timeless spirit meets fearless innovation, Kantala Spirits is crafting drinks that celebrate heritage, imagination, and the many moods of modern India.
A narrow winding road, lined by lush fields, a quaint village chapel that serves as a landmark, old colonial style village homes for neighbours; these are hardly the surroundings where you would expect to find a bustling, alco-bev company headquarters. And yet, this is what Kantala Spirits calls home, Goa.
Not a party capital, not a tourist haven, not even the poor man’s Ibiza. This is the local’s Goa, and Kantala Spirits sits right in the middle of a gentle village called Guirim, in North Goa. Here, neighbours know your family history, right down to the time your great grandpa got into a bar brawl.
This is also the Goa that inspires the founder, Suzann Homan (nee Fernandes) a Bandra Goan. In just one year, her company has shaken up the alco-beverage landscape, by blending the tradition of Goa with the innovation of Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Incorporated on 10th May 2024, its flagship brand, Gracia Viva Agave was launched on 2nd November with a lot of fanfare, the who’s who of Goa, Mumbai, and Bangalore’s glitterati in attendance. Two months later, a whisky called Rãkshas, then a spiced rum called Rum Bharosey, and a Zero-ABV flavoured agave drink called Gracia Cero, were launched.
It has been a busy year indeed. What makes this onward march even more eventful is the fact that none of the three directors of Kantala Spirits have any experience in the Alco-Bev sector.
Suzann Homan, the main founder-director, is a corporate lawyer by profession. Kiran Ullal comes with a rich experience from the banking and insurance sector. Keith Fernandes has an advertising-marketing background, being the owner of Slipdisc Advertising, Goa’s foremost OOH agency.
This unlikely trio has combined their strengths, garnered in fields that are diametrically diverse from the Alco-Bev sector, and made a paradigm shift in how companies launch, market, distribute and advertise their alcohol.
Following are the excerpts of a freewheeling chat that we had with the founders of this ambitious Alco-Bev company:
BG: Suzann, why the name Kantala Spirits – it sounds funny and funky, what does it mean? And what made you enter this field – which is usually considered a men’s club?
Suzann Homan: The agave plant in Sanskrit is referred to as ‘kantal’ or yes, Agave is common to India too, not just Mexico. You can find references to it in many of our ancient texts, in particular for its medicinal use. Agave drinks, syrups have been used in India since ancient times, we share this aspect with Mexico. But here’s the thing about India, we are a vast country- a continent. Each of our region (North, West, East, South) is blessed with a variety of alcohol spirits- local, tribal- in fact, each of our spirits could and should qualify for GI tags. So we are spoilt for choice not just in our cuisine, but even in our drinks.
Tequila / Agave became popular in Mexico because of a certain historical event. In 1595, King Philip of Spain (Mexico was under Spain’s rule), banned the production of local wine in Mexico, as it became more popular than wine made in Spain, and thus affected their exports. So the Mexicans revived their ancient agave drinks and increased their consumption, rather than patronising the imported wine from Spain.
I found many similarities between Agave / Tequila and the Goan Feni – a drink that has, and will always be a part of my life as I’m a Goan. Both are clear, white spirits, both have to go through several distillations, both can be created with simple implements in simple distilleries, and both are medicinal. This guided my choice of category. Now as far as why I got into the Alco-Bev sector at all… it is because I was inspired by my mother, Grace Fernandes.
All through school and college she pushed me to excel- always stressing that a woman has to work twice as hard compared to a man, to be considered good in her chosen field. Let me add here that besides being a lawyer, I do organic farming, I am Girl No. 1 of Two Bandra Girls – an organic farm in Maharashtra. I also excel at artisanal baking, and I own Sivako – a premium Patisserie in Mumbai.
After making a name for myself in corporate law, I needed a new challenge, so I said, why not! Let’s compete with the big boys! And that’s how I entered the Alco-Bev space.
I conceptualised our first brand- Gracia, with Grace’s blessing, and in her name. Unfortunately she passed away by the time it hit the shelves. But her memory lives on in every sip. Now more people in India know of my mother, Grace.
Gracia is currently sold in Goa, Pondicherry and Karnataka; and will soon be in Maharashtra and Haryana. While Gracia Cero can be bought on Amazon. Talks are underway to stock Gracia Cero at premium supermarkets and food stores.
BG: Keith, after the launch of Gracia – in 6 flavours – making it the only flavoured Agave drink in the country, Kantala Spirits did not rest on its laurels. They immediately went into overdrive and launched a cinnamon and honey flavoured whisky, Rãkshas, and a spiced rum- quirkily called Rum Bharosey, after that. What was the reason for this overdrive? Would it not be better for a new company to invest all their efforts and finances into one brand, and then after a few years, launch more?
Keith Fernandes: We soon realised that having just one brand, in one category of spirits, is not enough. Sure, there are some companies who want to be niche and will just stick to one product, but that means a slow growth. One of the first things I realised in my distribution journey was that vendors are more receptive if you offer a choice of spirits. So we decided to get into Whisky, Rum and Zero-ABV too. Now we have a stable of brands – each one feeds off the other’s success. And our stable of products will keep growing.’
BG: Kiran, Launching 4 brands in 18 months – an average of a brand every 4.5 months is not only hectic, but also risky, given the vagaries of the market, with its seasonal ebb and flow of demand. As the Finance Head, who comes from the Insurance sector, how did you agree to this, given that Insurance people are usually risk-averse?
Kiran Ullal (laughing): My earlier stints in the corporate sector did not prepare me for this. Yes, I surprised myself too. But I was also equally surprised to see the results pouring in. Our sales right off the first quarter have been good. Market sources tell me that for a new company, we are performing way better than established names. Then there is the backing of solid research. I’m bullish on the Alco-Bev sector in India as it stands currently, and the sector will grow by leaps and bounds. There is awareness and an openness towards alcohol for the first time in India – and not just in the big cities, I’m talking tier 2 and 3 cities also. Thanks to social media and OTT, the younger generation is trying out new brands and experimenting with cocktails. More Indians are travelling abroad and getting exposed to drinking culture and festivals related to drinking- like Oktoberfest. All our brands are designed and marketed uniquely. Agave and Tequila consumption is seeing a major growth world over- and especially in India. In Goa, people recognize the similarity of Agave/ Tequila to the local Feni and so it is popular. It is also a healthier drink, and it is vegan compared to other white spirits. Our flavored Whisky, our Spiced Rum, is catered for the experimental palate, the drinker who wants drinking to be a sensorial experience. Our pricing is competitive, and for Rum especially, it is very affordable. So it is a calculated risk based on research and market trends.
BG: How does a Zero-ABV drink sit in a stable of hard alcohol drinks like Agave/ Tequila, Rum, Whisky? Doesn’t it contradict?
Suzann: I don’t see any contradiction. Even amongst drinkers, nobody drinks 365 days a year. There will be days or months when you will abstain for various reasons. Take my case for instance – as a practicing Catholic, my reason is religious. I observe Lent – 40 days of vegetarianism and no alcohol. Many of my friends observe fasts, or days of the week when they don’t drink, so attending parties or celebrations on those days becomes awkward. Now they drink Gracia Cero instead- a Zero-ABV agave / tequila. So, established drinkers who want a break, or are on their off days, is one target audience.
If you have been following trends, you would’ve noticed that there is a lot of buzz lately around NoLo – short for ‘No Alcohol or Low Alcohol’. Gen Z is making healthy and mindful choices with alcohol, drinking a lot less than Millennials. They like the partying, clubbing, socializing and celebrations that go with alcohol consumption, but they want the fun of the former without the after effects of the latter. They are choosing health over hangovers – and props to them for that. This is our second and our major target audience.
Mind you, this is a difficult bunch to please… so we have paid extra attention to taste and flavour with Gracia Cero. Our two flavours – Pineapple Piñata and Raw ‘n’ Wild Mango burst with tropical freshness – a taste that lingers on your palate. And we have a first-mover advantage as we are the first flavoured Zero-ABV agave/ tequila drink in the country.
Kiran: Nowadays people take their health and wellness seriously, we track our steps, our calories – via smartphones and smartwatches. So it was a only matter of time that everybody would start paying attention to their alcohol consumption – Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X’ers- people across the board.
Gracia Cero has many plus points apart from being Zero-ABV – it is only 4 calories per 30ml serving, it has no added sugars, and it is vegan. I am an avid marathoner, and very conscious of my diet and exercise. I am a social drinker, but during marathon season- typically monsoon and winter (also, the festival and wedding season), I stop drinking alcohol as it interferes with my running practice. Earlier, if I was invited to a party or a wedding, I’d be the butt of jokes and taunts – you know how your drinking buddies will bully you into drinking! But I would either hold my ground, or hold a glass of cola and pretend it was a mixer. Colas are bad too. Worst case scenario, I’d have a beer. Now I can have any of the various Zero-ABV drinks in the market – including my own brand, Gracia Cero. All my friends in the running community now swear by Gracia-Cero, before the marathon. But on completion, we definitely bring out the champagne, the rum, the whisky – the whole bar! We call this ritual ‘Balancing the body salts and liquids.
BG: Keith, how do you surmount the challenges in alcohol advertising- namely the restriction on showing the product and its consumption in a public space? What do you do differently to be seen?
Keith: Yes, it is a challenging category, you have to sell it without showing it directly. But that only forces you to be more creative ‘inside the box’. At Kantala Spirits, we are interactive and proactive with our consumers. We take our brand to local festivals, like Goa Carnival 2025 and we sponsor events to generate trials, interest and curiosity. At the Carnival Float Parade, we handed out masks with our Gracia mnemonic (half Mexican-half Indian), and also a headband with the devil’s horns for Rãkshas. This activation complemented the carnival theme, and was much appreciated by the crowd. I am told many people have preserved our masks as they were unique – for us it was a great way to do proxy advertising.
Alcohol goes hand in hand with music. I know this from being a musician myself, and also from organizing Goa’s longest running rockshow- Battle of the Bands. In fact, Rãkshas Whisky now has a long term association with BTB. Both, Rãkshas whisky and Rum Bharosey, are tailor made for music events, they are a top favourite of youngsters and musicians. Take Rum Bharosey- it is competitively priced at `350 for a 750ML bottle. When youngsters party, or go for music festivals, they love to drink our rum and whisky- not just for its affordability, but for its vibe, its attitude and sass.
We constantly educate our consumers on how Gracia needs to be sipped and savoured, and not drunk as a shot, as is traditionally the case in India. We do these through brochures, flyers and social media reels. Our mixologist trains bartenders at Bars, Clubs and restaurants on how to make Gracia cocktails – our flavours blend well with cocktails. We also do a lot of social media engagement with our consumers, teaching them how to create cocktails, educating them on the difference between Agave, Tequila and Mezcal.
We do a 360 degree marketing and advertising campaign, using traditional media like billboards and magazines, social media and influencer engagement. We have recently relied on AI driven advertising, to achieve what regular advertising cannot – or can, but at an exorbitant cost.
BG: Tell us more about AI driven advertising. How effective is it? Is it accepted by your target audience?
Keith: Storytelling has always been key in alco-bev advertising – given that we have to do proxy advertising. Earlier, only the big brands had the means to tell larger than life stories. Glossy ad films, celebrity endorsements, international shoots – these were luxuries that came at a cost. This model is now being disrupted by AI advertising.
AI is giving new and independent alcohol brands the tools to create, test, and grow in ways that weren’t possible before. It’s not just a faster or cheaper way to produce content. It’s a different way of thinking about brand building itself.
At Kantala Spirits, we have embraced AI to bring our brands to life. For Gracia, our premium agave spirit, we have developed a refined visual world using AI-generated imagery and videos.
For Rãkshas, our cinnamon and honey whisky, we have recreated the energy of nightlife and live events. These campaigns don’t rely on physical locations or expensive shoots, and yet they feel real.
For Rum Bharosey, where the emphasis is on friendship and bonhomie, we have produced fun beach reels, picnic videos and cocktail videos, thus using social media platforms effectively for storytelling across multiple languages and regions.
AI advertising allows us to test-drive different themes, and narratives, to see what works. We get real-time insights, faster content cycles, and more room to explore.This allows us to operate like a large brand, without needing a large budget. And in a category where visibility is everything, that levels the playing field.’
Suzann: ‘We are not using AI as a shortcut. We are using it as a way to build brands with imagination and speed. The future is already here.’
BG: We chose Gracia Viva Agave as the ‘Spirits Brand of the Year 2025’, at the Business Goa Awards, recognising your contribution in your short span of existence. Where do you see Kantala Spirits in the next 5 years?
Suzann: Definitely as the market leader in India in the Tequila/ Agave category, if not the entire white spirits category. I see our flagship brand, Gracia Viva Agave, making inroads internationally and being recognised. Goa has a lot of goodwill nationally and internationally – that rubs off on all our brands. And as far as awards and recognition goes, we are grateful that Business Goa was the first to recognize and honour us. Your first award is always memorable. We hope to win a lot more in the coming years – in fact, we want to make winning awards a habit!
BG: Any last words? Any message for your consumers and collaborators?
Suzann: To our consumers we’d like to say that lots of exciting products are in the pipeline, the development work for which is underway. We are innovating not just the product, but also they way it is packaged.
We are open for collaborations and business with anybody who resonates with our philosophy – of putting Goa first, of identifying strongly as a Goan brand with an international outlook. We believe in supporting local businesses and local talent. We have created jobs for local youth.
At Kantala Spirits, we also believe in giving back to the society. We donate 2% of our profits towards ‘Elder-care’, this is a subject that affects me deeply.
Keith: We are constantly looking for new ways to be a part of Goa’s cultural scene. Gracia Viva Agave, our flagship, premium spirit, is now associating with premium fashion and fashion brands. We feel it is the way forward. We recently partnered with Fashion Triad International to present the Gracia Stellar Show- which was held on 30th November at the Pride Sun Village, to crown the Gracia Stellar Miss Goa, Gracia Stellar Mr Goa, Gracia Stellar Mrs Goa and 3 other categories. We are open for more collabs with luxury lifestyle brands
Kiran: We are growing our vendor base daily. We are available at more than 300+ outlets all over North & South Goa, many of these are premium malls, supermarkets and Airport Duty Free at Dabolim. We are in Pondichéry and Karnataka. In Karnataka, we are starting with Bengaluru, and then marching onwards to other parts of the state. Currently, we are working with authorities for licenses to sell in other Indian states, and we are also in discussion with international vendors.
Gracia Cero is co-sponsoring a pickle ball team- The Bengaluru Blazers for the Pro Pickle Ball League and Challenger Pickle Ball League organised by Global Sports from 12-21 Dec ‘25. This in India’s leading Pickle-Ball tournament that will be going global soon. So we are happy to associate with them. Going forward, Gracia Cero will associate with sports, fitness, health & wellness brands, and events.
So, there’s a lot happening at Kantala Spirits, leaving us no time to rest.
