Lost Explorer Mezcal marks Earth Day 2023

The Lost Explorer Mezcal has extended its Voice for Nature partnerships to mark Earth Day on 22 April.

Earth Day is an annual event on 22 April that endeavours to double down on support for environmental protection.

The Lost Explorer Mezcal is celebrating the occasion by extending its partnerships with Isla Urbana and Sikanda, two Mexican NGOs (non-governmental organisations), which offer environmental and social support in Oaxaca, Mexico, where the mezcal brand is produced.

In collaboration with Isla Urbana, a series of new rainwater harvesting systems will be installed in the remote and ‘highly marginalised’ communities of the Mazateca region. Here, women and girls spend two hours a day carrying water to their homes – often from contaminated sources.

Each new rainwater system will allow 45,000 litres of rainwater to be collected every year, equating to carrying a 20-litre bucket of water 2,250 times.

By teaming up with Sikanda, the brand will enter its third year of support for the Mujeres AVE programme, which provides seed capital funding and training for small, women-led start-up businesses in Oaxaca.

So far, more than 30 female entrepreneurs have benefitted from funding and support. Applications are being accepted for 2023, which will see further support, supplies, equipment and business coaching offered to up-and-coming initiatives.

Reflecting on the brand’s sustainable efforts in the lead up to Earth Day, Tanya Clarke, CEO of The Lost Explorer Mezcal, said: “We are most proud of the production team’s relentless curiosity when it comes to the pursuit of sustainability.

“Sustainability is a continuous journey of learning and adapting, and it is the ongoing improvements, big and small, that together have the greatest impact.”

At the brand’s distillery in Oaxaca, a ‘big breakthrough’ this year is expected to create an even more sustainable production process.

This will be achieved through the introduction of gas-fired heat, as opposed to wood-fired energy, during distillation. Furthermore, the masonry ovens will also be gas-fired to help cook 70% of the agave, with the remaining 30% cooked using reclaimed wood in earthen pit ovens.

The new methods will reduce the amount of wood used in production, thus improving the environmental impact of mezcal production in the long term, the brand said.

Green commitment

The Lost Explorer Mezcal highlighted it has been committed to keeping its carbon footprint low since the brand’s inception. This has included using natural beeswax and bottles made from more than 55% recycled crystal scraps for its packaging. In addition, the brand has a replanting programme to promote biodiversity.

This year, the brand has made progress with a programme to upcycle its agave waste into agave-based bricks, which will be used for local building projects.

“A global movement, Earth Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the environmental challenges we face, and importantly promote action to address them,” a spokesperson for The Lost Explorer Mezcal added.

“For The Lost Explorer Mezcal, celebrating the earth is the brand’s core mission, thus Earth Day is not about a one-day event, but rather building a sense of community and bringing people together to work towards the common goal of protecting our planet and having a positive impact for the years to come.”

Earlier this month, The Lost Explorer Mezcal unveiled a new format: 200ml ‘Mezcalitos’.