The NYWSC is a prestigious ceremony in the spirits world hosted by the Tasting Alliance, which has been a big resource for spirits, wines, and beers since its introduction in 1980 with the San Francisco International Wine Competition. Founded by the Alliance, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition started in 2000, followed by the NYWSC in 2018.
During the competition, spirits from around the world are ranked and awarded medals from bronze to platinum, but each spirit category also awards a "Best of Class." The title is earned for the best spirit in each category, which is no small feat but with only four years in the business, the Miami brand has taken home the title.
"When I received the email, I was shocked," says Mirvis. "My first question was: Does that mean we won the Best Mezcal? I'm not the kind of person that has won a lot of things, but the bottle has been winning a lot, and I'm always shocked. When you create something yourself, it's important to believe in it, it feels empowering to work hard on something and get recognized, even if it takes a lot of years."
Miami-based mezcal company Desolas Mezcal has just been crowned for making the best mezcal in the world at the 2024 New York World Spirits Competition
Desolas Mezcal photo
A True Passion for Mezcal Eight Years in The Making
Since college, Mirvis was drawn to the spirits business. She tells New Times that about eight years ago she had a tequila coconut water company, and during one of the numerous trips to Mexico for the company, she fell in love with mezcal."I was getting into all the technical details of what makes mezcal and the different types of agave," she says. "Serendipitously, the family I used to work with for my first company had a family member who had a mezcal made from salmiana agave. I tried it, and that's when I fell in love with what today is Desolas, which is made from 100 percent salmiana."
She explains while both tequila and mezcal are made with agave, tequila is made with Blue Weber agave while the other agave drinks are considered mezcals. Most mezcals are made with espadín, which is the most common variety of agave, but Mirvis opted for salmiana.
"That's what makes Desolas so different," says Mirvis. "Salmiana agave is from a different region called San Luis Potosí, Mexico. That region is known for making this sort of earthier and less smoky mezcal. We also roast the plant above ground, so you have a very agave-forward taste at the end, versus super smoky, you do have a smoke, but it's more on the background. That's why I fell in love with the flavor."
A More Balanced Flavor for Those New to Mezcal
Mirvis wanted to showcase mezcal in a different light, so Desolas is an approachable brand for people who want to try mezcal but don't love the smoke-forward flavor. She recommends people try it neat, with a slice of orange on the side to open up the flavors."The flavor notes to look out for is it's very earthy and a lot of herbs kind of come out," she says. "There's also sort of a peppery taste to it, like serrano pepper; there's warm citrus to a lot of the flavor as well, like lemon peel and ripe agave and the finish is very surprising. I think it's interesting because you can play around with Desolas for cocktails, too, especially something refreshing for Miami. I personally love it with a little bit of muddled cucumber, lemon, and ice. It's very refreshing. There's no sugar, and it's a great and easy cocktail."
The Best of Class is Desolas' latest award, but not its first. It has now won the Double Gold for the second year at the NYWSC 2024, Double Gold at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and a Platinum Medal at the 2024 L.A. Spirits Awards. It has also received accolades, such as Mezcal of the Year at the 2023 Bartender Spirits Awards and a Gold Medal at Tales of the Cocktail.
