Drysdales crafts South African Agave Spirits. We call it Shekeela: an unapologetic celebration of our beautiful Karoo.
Tequila is a protected name.
By law, only spirits made from Blue Weber Agave in Mexico’s Tequila region can use it. However authentic, outside that region it can’t be called Tequila.
Shekeela is born in the Graaff-Reinet area, where the hardy Agave Americana thrives in semi-desert conditions.
These plants can take up to 20 years to reach maturity, drawing character from the land. Bold, resilient and unmistakably South African.
The Karoo’s infinite skies, orange sunsets and raw earth shape more than just the flavour, they shape Shekeela’s spirit.
At Drysdales, Shekeela is crafted with care:
Harvested: Hand-cut Agave Americana (at full maturity) in the Graaff-Reinet area
Cooked: Piñas roasted low and slow for natural sweetness
Pressed & fermented: Agave juice pressed and fermented to unlock depth
Distilled: Thrice distilled for smoothness and clarity
Rested & refined: Bottled pure or aged in oak for layered flavour.
Agave is naturally drought-resistant, thriving in the Karoo with little intervention.
By harnessing a plant so suited to its environment, Shekeela stands as a sustainable spirit of the South African land: resilient, resourceful and enduring.
Shekeela is not Mexican Tequila, it’s Karoo Agave Spirit – bold, pure and unapologetically South African.
