This Award-Winning Artisanal Mezcal Belongs In Your Bar Cart
A masterful mezcal to enjoy anytime.
The time is ripe for a new summer sipper via a buzzed-about, mixologist-favorite mezcal — that is, if The Lost Explorer has anything to say about the contents of your bar cart.
The origins of the spirit are as distinctive as its flavor: Wealthy “adventure capitalist” Thor Bjorgolfsson (Iceland’s richest man) and ecologist heir David de Rothschild dreamed up the idea after meeting Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos.
And since its debut in 2020, The Lost Explorer has climbed to the top of the heap as the world’s most awarded mezcal brand.
Ramos’ single-family estate distillery was in search of a longtime partner, and someone to fuel its expansive mezcal production efforts, and the rest is (almost) history.
The mezcal has made a name for itself in short order, particularly in vaunted bars across North America. In fact, a veritable who’s who of North America’s 50 Best Bars stocks The Lost Explorer, including Mexico City’s Handshake Speakeasy, which took the top spot on that list.
In fact, 11 of Mexico’s entries in that elusive top 50 list stock The Lost Explorer, followed closely by NYC hotspots like Martiny’s.
It’s not hard to see why, in matters of both quality and looks: Its hand-labeled and hand-finished bespoke bottles are crafted from 55 percent recycled crystal scraps, then topped with a natural certified wood stopper sealed with biodegradable Mexican beeswax.
Its three mezcal expressions (Espadín, Tobalá and Salmiana) were carefully crafted to “celebrate the terroir and diversity of the sacred agave plant, and promote sustainable Mexican enterprise while preserving the ancient craft, heritage and biodiversity of Oaxaca’s ancestral Miztec lands,” The Lost Explorer said.
In the Drinks International Annual Brands Report for 2024, The Lost Explorer clocked in at no. 3 among top-trending mezcals.
A spirit with such accolades normally might not come cheap, but The Lost Explorer’s three expressions range in price from $64.99 (for its Espadin varietal) to an SRP of $179.99 for 750ml of its Salmiana varietal.
There’s seemingly never been a better time to revamp your bar cart with a best-kept secret mezcal of sorts.