Considering there are now more agave spirit brands on the market than you can hurl a Tulum influencer at, one could be forgiven for groaning indifferently at the sight of yet another boutique Mezcal range. And yet, despite all this fatigue for what was once dubbed an “alternative spirit” category, the arrival of The Lost Explorer on Australian shores is a development worthy of closer inspection – evincing the right blend of handcraft, sustainable enterprise and authentic Mexican heritage.
Consisting of three unique expressions (first launched in North America and the UK circa 2020) all Lost Explorer mezcals are made from 100% agave grown and harvested in the Oaxaca Valley. At the top-end, discerning drinkers will find Salmiana ($300): distilled using a wild species of agave which grows at high altitude for a minimum of 12 years before being harvested.
Best enjoyed as a sipping mezcal, its green, refreshing flavour profile offers a fantastic counterpoint to the Tobalá ($250). Harvested at a slightly earlier age (10 years), the latter is made out of an agave variety that carries flavours of cocoa and leather when distilled – easy enough to sip on the rocks, but capable of pulling weight within budding mixologists’ backbars.
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Rounding these two mature-age styles out is the Espadin ($130): to devotees of Mezcal what blue agave is to Tequila lovers. Balanced and smoky on the finish, you probably don’t need us telling you how this absolutely nails the brief when used as a foundational element in your favourite mixed beverage: think Old Fashioneds, Margheritas, or a particularly zeitgeist-y riff on the Negroni.
This particular segmentation in the Mezcal industry (by age of harvesting) is nothing new, but The Lost Explorer rises above the fray of other more recent mezcal launches by placing environmental and cultural conservation at the heart of its product offering. Master distiller Don Fortino Ramos and his daughter Xitlali use a dedicated bottlemaker in Mexico City; with each vessel of The Lost Explorer’s agave spirit made out of 55% recycled crystal and sealed with natural beeswax.
This sustainable packaging initiative is being supplemented by commitments at the source, with the Ramos family leading efforts to replant agave in the Oaxaca Valley (at a 3-to-1 ratio) and upcycle the plant’s waste product into copitas – the traditional clay vessel used in Mexico to pour and enjoy Mezcal.
