Recognised as the most highly awarded mezcal of 2021, The Lost Explorer Mezcal, originating from the rich biodiverse soils of Mexico’s Oaxaca region, has arrived on Aotearoa’s shores to elevate Kiwi palates and celebrate the earth.
Distributed exclusively in New Zealand by Federal Merchants & Co, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is dedicated to empowering sustainable Mexican enterprise and protecting the artisanal craft, and heritage of the country. The selection on offer includes three exceptional mezcales – Espadín, Tobalá and Salmiana – born from a process that is deeply in tune with the rhythm of nature. Mezcal is something to be savoured, and discerning spirits lovers will be impressed by not only the quality and complexity of these mezcales, which are as nuanced as wine, but the integrity than underpins the brand.
Co-founded by adventurer and environmentalist David de Rothschild and entrepreneur Thor Björgólfsson in 2020, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is made from 100 percent agave, cultivated in the Valles Centrales, Oaxaca, Mexico. Made in partnership with internationally recognised and award-winning Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos and family, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is founded on a firm ethos of the sustainable production of high-quality, artisanal mezcales in a way that supports the local community and environment in Oaxaca including the mezcalero being a shareholder in the company.
Sustainable local production is at the core of The Lost Explorer Mezcal’s purpose, with the range made exclusively at the family home of Don Fortino Ramos, where the production team are long term employees. For every agave used, The Lost Explorer has committed to replanting at least three more agave to protect biodiversity within the agave population.
Sustainability carries through the production process. Water is recycled for distillation and irrigation, all compost and fertilser is made from recycled agave and is free from chemicals, while more work being done to reduce the carbon footprint created by the production process and offset with reforestation and replanting programmes.
Crafted using agaves that have reached full maturity at 8, 10 or 12 years, each species in the three expressions – Espadín, Tobalá and Salmiana – are hand-harvested at the moment of ripeness. The piñas (agave hearts) are then returned to the ground and cooked in earth ovens – which gives mezcal its categoric smoky quality, differentiating it from tequila. Once cooked, the piñas are ground and macerated, fermented in open wooden barrels, then double-distilled in a copper. The final product is bottled in glass made from recycled crystal scraps, hand-labelled, and sealed with a natural wood stopper and biodegradable natural beeswax.
Within a year of launching, The Lost Explorer Mezcal achieved the accolade of being the most highly awarded mezcal in the world, including double gold, gold and silver from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, as well as Taste Master - best of the best - from The Spirits Business Tequila and Mezcal Masters.
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