OAX ORIGINAL® DEBUTS LINE OF RARE, LIMITED EDITION MEZCALES IN HIGH DESIGN BOTTLES

OAX ORIGINAL® DEBUTS LINE OF RARE, LIMITED EDITION MEZCALES IN HIGH DESIGN BOTTLES

A COLLABORATIVE ARTISTIC ENDEAVOUR SERVES AS

HOMAGE TO MEXICO’S RICH HISTORY AND RAW BEAUTY

NOVEMBER 19, 2020 (NEW YORK, NY)— A first of its kind, OAX is a mezcal company rooted in art and storytelling while aiming to redefine the premium mezcal market. Crafted by exclusively using wild, single-origin foraged agave ranging from 12 to 25-years-old, the debut line of OAX Original® includes three intriguing expressions designed to capture the beauty and perfection of this highly sought-after artisanal spirit. Officially launching nationwide in the U.S. on December 3, 2020, at www.oaxoriginal.com, OAX is pleased to introduce their luxury small batch mezcales, Arroqueño, Tobalá, and Tepeztate, to the public in three striking matte bottles designed by artists to echo Mexico’s architecture, history and culture.

Inside each ceramic bottle lies a rare, haute drinking experience showcasing deep and complex flavor profiles. Each variety is a mezcal meant to be sipped and appreciated for its unparalleled taste, sensual bouquet and individuality. Retailing at $110-180 per bottle with limited quantities of about 900 bottles per varietal available, OAX is a top shelf spirit that challenges the way we see and encounter mezcal, while still maintaining the traditions and heritage of Oaxaca, the epicenter of mezcal production. More about the brand’s mission, process, design and details on each of the OAX Original® expressions are outlined below.

◊ MISSION: The “Search for Beauty” is the driving force behind OAX Original®, and this quest unequivocally intersects with art. The brand acts as a collaborative artistic endeavor presenting the distinctive flavors and raw beauty of wild agave through its three limited-edition expressions while extending its representation into the world of art through partnerships with designers, musicians, visual artists, chefs, photographers and more.

◊ DESIGN: The three bottles in black (Arroqueño), white (Tobalá) and pink (Tepeztate), are produced in Pachuca, Mexico, and designed by OAX Original® Creative Team, Laura Giraudo and Roberto Bernasconi, co-founders of Bardo Industries– an interdisciplinary Design Studio based in Brooklyn, NY. The bottle itself draws inspiration from vernacular Mexican architecture, a blend between the mysterious monolithic pre-Hispanic architecture and Euro-American Modernist designs spearheaded by Luis Barragán and presently embodied in the work of architects Frida Escobedo, Maurico Rocha and Gabriela Carrillo, among others. OAX Original® comes in a silkscreened kraft box, equating the unboxing experience with that of an art piece or a design item. “Our bottle is more than a container. It’s the representation of OAX in space. It’s unsettling, convulsive and cryptic, an ‘obscur objet du désir’. It’s a statement, a preamble to the drinking experience, it’s the unexpected,” says Bernasconi.

◊ PROCESS: Each of the unique mezcales is made from wild agave plants found in the semi-arid Central Valleys of Oaxaca. Once foraged from this mountainous region, the hearts of the agaves are slow cooked in the ground with oak and mesquite, stone-ground by horse, then wild yeast fermented in pine barrels before being double distilled. All plants are picked at the agave’s premium and brought to distillation at their maturity point, ensuring an extraordinary mezcal experience. This initial batch of mezcals was crafted by Maestro Mezcalero Enrique Hernandez Zenea whose family have held the mezcal making tradition from San Luis Del Rio, Oaxaca, for over three generations.

• Arroqueño — 100% Agave (A. Americana). Maturity: Between 14-18 years (black bottle)
  • Tasting/Nose — This mezcal has a semi silver tonality, with subtle wooden and cooked agave aromas. There is buttery palatability with hints of sweet coffee. It is a drink of thick body that leaves a taste of coffee and almonds in the palate once drank.

ABOUT OAX ORIGINAL: OAX Original® is a collaborative artistic endeavor presenting the distinctive flavors and raw beauty of wild agave through three limited-edition expressions: Arroqueño, Tobalá, and Tepeztate. Each of the unique small batch mezcales is made from agave plants found in the semi-arid Central Valleys of Oaxaca, which average 12 to 25 years to reach maturity. Once foraged, the hearts of the agaves are slow-cooked in the ground with oak and mesquite, stone-ground by horse, then wild yeast fermented in pine barrels before being double distilled. OAX is a multi-sensorial experience, where the bottle embodies the mezcal in touch and sight—from its raw texture recalling dirt, bricks and adobe, to the pure volumes that define its form, size, and surfaces, as well as their interaction with light and shadows. Produced in Pachuca, Mexico, and designed by OAX Original® Creative Team, Laura Giraudo and Roberto Bernasconi (Co-founders of Bardo Industries, an interdisciplinary Design Studio based in Brooklyn, NY) the bottle itself draws inspiration from vernacular Mexican architecture, a blend between the mysterious monolithic pre-Hispanic architecture and Euro-American Modernist design. From agave field to bottle, the entire production focuses on a genuine homage to Mexico, drawing from its history, culture, and inherent raw beauty. For more information, visit www.oaxoriginal.com or follow OAX Original on Instagram at @oaxoriginal.