Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The Lost Explorer Mezcal has appointed agave expert and sommelier Montserrat Franco as its global brand ambassador Franco brings more than 15 years’ experience in the wine and spirits trade to the role She is also a certified master mezcalier and has been awarded the ‘T distinctive in Tequila’ by the Tequila Reulatory Council (CRT) twice Franco holds a court of master sommelier and is an ISSP-CSP-certified sustainability professional Montserrat said: “I felt connected with The Lost Explorer Mezcal for many reasons I was deeply interested in mezcal and how to make it sustainable for new generations to come; I found my answers when I met maestro mezcalero Fortino Ramos and his daughter Xitlali who is training to become the next generation female mezcalera maestro Fortino is bringing to mezcal-making a bright new future that is beneficial for our planet “We love mezcal but we also need to think about responsible practices for the environment and our community and I am honoured to join The Lost Explorer Mezcal and be part of this journey.” The Lost Explorer Mezcal has been committed to sustainable practices since the brand’s inception It was established with a pledge to ‘celebrate the Earth’ artisanal mezcal’ in a way that benefits the local Oaxaca community the brand has extended its partnership with charity Voice for Nature Foundation working to support local impact projects in Oaxaca The partnership with Isla Urbana – a project dedicated to contributing to water sustainability in Mexico – will see the implementation of further additional rainwater harvesting systems in the remote areas of San Jose Tenango particularly its female-empowerment programme will provide seed capital funding for essential supplies and equipment for up to 30 women-led local businesses The Lost Explorer portfolio comprises three mezcals: Espadín Earlier this year, The Lost Explorer Mezcal teamed up with The Beverage Agency to grow its reach across the US We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again and you finally have the chance to experience Day of the Dead in the country where it originated but what if you don’t know where to find the celebrations you should know that there are actually different kinds of celebrations of Day of the Dead The most important distinction is between those that are traditional based on centuries and even millennia of tradition Many of the latter have gained popularity and even were invented in only the past decades The situation can be compared to Christmas in the United States where you have religious celebrations of the birth of Christ – and Santa Claus marching in parades let me go out on a limb here and recommend Mexico City as a template for Day of the Dead celebrations Because you can find both kinds of Day of the Dead celebrations in abundance in the nation’s capital businesses and local cemeteries but also in museums where representations of Day of the Dead traditions from other parts of Mexico can be found The public entertainment side is huge and widely varied The iconic family altars (ofrendas) traditionally made for dead loved ones are everywhere in Mexico City public building and even many businesses have at least one that you can easily visit and take pictures of They range from the purely traditional (check out the ones in local markets) to massive displays The most important of the monumental ofrendas are located in the zócalo and another in Santo Domingo just to the north Set up by the city and the National Autonomous University respectively both take over their respective plazas entirely Most of Mexico City’s cemeteries are located on the periphery with the one in Mixquic being the most famous for Day of the Dead Because of Mixquic’s distance (and Mexico’s City’s infamous traffic) you may wish instead to visit San Fernando or Dolores which have the resting places of many of Mexico’s historic figures Thanks to the 2015 James Bond film Spectre Mexico City’s popularity as a Day of the Dead destination has exploded The parade in the movie’s opening scene was fictitious at the time but city authorities made sure that there would be a real one for 2016 but the city had already been creating new and larger Day of the Dead events for many years Mexico City’s Day of the Dead “season” kicks off with the annual Alebrije Parade and the Mega Catrina Procession about a week before both of which fill Reforma avenue with gigantic colorful monsters and people in elaborate makeup and 19th-century costumes respectively The canals in the south of the city also host a unique theater production of La Llorona the legend of the wailing woman who drowned her children and as a ghost forever wandered Mexico looking for them Just about all of the many museums and cultural centers in Mexico City do something related to the holiday that will range from educational to pure entertainment Recommended places to check out include the Museum of Anthropology Folk Art Museum (Museo de Arte Popular) and the Dolores Olmedo Museum for its highly-regarded monumental altar Mexico City has the advantage of having the infrastructure for the huge crowds that show up for the city’s annual events but make absolutely sure you have reservations before you go because Mexico City is now one of the country’s main Day of the Dead destinations Don’t count on just finding a hotel once you get there If you’re not located in Mexico City or inclined to travel there all of Mexico’s other sizable cities will also offer traditional Day of the Dead events and public entertainment You can see altars and skeletal figures and eat traditional pan de muerto (literally Most of these events will have a local or regional flair to them This is especially true in places like Oaxaca and San Cristobal de las Casas One very large Day of the Dead celebration often overlooked in English-language articles is the Festival de Calaveras (Festival of the Skulls) in the city of Aguascalientes It has a massive parade that existed long before the Bond movie Those looking for a folkloric experience generally migrate to smaller towns in more rural areas on and around Lake Pátzcuaro in the state of Michoacán Welcoming the dead on candlelight boats and all-night vigils brings tens of thousands of visitors to the municipalities of Pátzcuaro Janitzio and other communities on the lake Although Pátzcuaro is no stranger to tourism the accommodations infrastructure there is currently stretched to the maximum for the holiday I found only a handful of places with availability a good policy to follow if you’re going to travel to visit any of the most popular of Mexico’s Day of the Dead events a good idea is booking a tour to see the most popular of the events Many other small towns near larger cities like San Cristóbal Just investigate what the restrictions may be A tour is often your best bet to find out where you can go and when since Mexico is typically not very good at publicizing event calendars usually because planning is often not finalized until very close to the event Research what you can online in local newspapers and tour advertisements and local city and town Facebook groups can also be your friend if you can read Spanish Your best bet is to come several days before Nov many places — but not all — are holding festivities on Oct Ask around for event information in places like tourism stands and hotels Below are some suggestions to get you started the planning of events is finalized late and may be subject to last-minute changes so it’s a good idea to check the site you got your information from again on the day before Leigh Thelmadatter arrived in Mexico 18 years ago and fell in love with the land and the culture in particular its handcrafts and art. She is the author of Mexican Cartonería: Paper, Paste and Fiesta (Schiffer 2019) Her culture column appears regularly on Mexico News Daily ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC we explore how spirits brands from around the globe are working to create a greener planet The theme for Earth Day 2022 is ‘invest in our planet’ designed to spark discussions and action to mitigate climate change Sustainability has become the buzzword of the last few years as conversations regarding climate change have been amplified From reducing carbon footprints to creating more inclusive workspaces and local communities sustainability is a notion that is being woven into the fabric of long-term company strategies sustainability has been built into the brand’s DNA since its inception “The process of making The Lost Explorer is carefully thought through,” explained Tiffany Jay ‘how can we best operate within the rhythm of nature What is the most harmonious way to do this?’ “The Lost Explorer Mezcal was founded with a pledge to celebrate the earth practicing and leading sustainable ways of working and giving back to nature and to the local community The Lost Explorer Mezcal is on a mission to become the most sustainable mezcal brand in the world as we learn new ways of doing all we can.” Continue scrolling to read about how brands are celebrating Earth Day today and committing to being more sustainable all year round To celebrate Earth Day this year, The Lost Explorer Mezcal is expanding its partnership with the Voice for Nature Foundation The charity works to support local projects in Oaxaca The partnership suits The Lost Explorer’s ethos to back local organisations that work to create a more sustainable future for the surrounding environment and indigenous communities in Oaxaca The Lost Explorer Mezcal’s partnership with Isla Urbana an NGO dedicated to water sustainability in Mexico will grow to develop further additional rainwater harvesting systems in the remote a non-profit that promotes gender equality will extend support to its female empowerment programme by providing seed capital funding for essential supplies and equipment for up to 30 women-led local businesses in Oaxaca 14 businesses benefitted from this support But the brand isn’t stopping there; April is Earth Month and all purchases of The Lost Explorer Mezcal in the UK and the US made directly from the brand’s website – thelostexplorermezcal.com –  from 18-30 April will go to the Voice for Nature Foundation Other ongoing sustainable efforts from The Lost Explorer Mezcal include the brand’s work to plant three new agaves for every one harvested Agave waste from production is also turned into fertiliser the mezcal brand’s bottles are created from more than 55% recycled crystal scraps that are reclaimed from the producer’s onsite productions The bottles are hand-labelled and finished with a natural wooden stopper and sealed and stamped with biodegradable natural beeswax that has been sustainably harvested also utilised by the brand’s bottle and beeswax suppliers are also in use to further the brand’s environmental commitments As a Fair Trade and carbon-neutral-certified brand Flor de Caña has been a long-term champion of sustainable endeavours Part of the Nicaraguan rum brand’s work to create a greener planet includes a quest to plant one million trees by 2025 To mark Earth Month, Flor de Caña has launched a new campaign in collaboration with retailers, bars, restaurants and consumers: Together for a Greener Future The initiative aims to plant 70,000 trees this year – which will join the 800,000 already planted by the brand since 2005 added: “As a global leader of sustainability practices within the spirits industry we are deeply committed to the protection and preservation of the environment “Through our partnership with One Tree Planted we’re taking our commitment to the environment to the next level and working together to inspire people around the world to get involved in our effort to restore forests and ensure a greener future for generations to come.” Singer Ellie Goulding has been an environmental activist for years. The Love Me Like You Do singer, who also owns the Served hard seltzer brand has teamed up with sustainable bar group Darwin & Wallace and Ecologi to plant trees for Earth Day The initiative will run from Earth Day until 31 May and will see a tree planted for every Served hard seltzer sold in Darwin & Wallace The trees will be planted across various planting sites in Kenya will match the number of trees planted by Darwin & Wallace during this time frame for ‘maximum impact’ said: “We are exciting to be joining forces with two great businesses that are build on the principles of sustainability and to help make an impact through reforestation and coastal wetland restoration we have a responsibility to lead by example and we are extremely proud to have offset more than 50 tonnes of CO2e [carbon dioxide equivalent] and planted over 1,600 trees in the last 12 months.” In July 2020, Highland Scotch whisky distillery Nc’nean became the first whisky distillery in the UK to achieve net zero emissions the status means emissions Nc’nean’s production were less than the amount of emissions removed from the atmosphere the wider Scotch whisky industry is aiming to achieve this by 2040 meaning Nc’nean was 20 years ahead of the targets To celebrate Earth Day, B Corp-certified Nc’nean has unveiled its first spring seasonal release: Huntress 2022. The new release coincides with Earth Day to tie into the goal of founder, Annabel Thomas to create a whisky that works in harmony with nature Huntress 2022 is the first whisky to feature one of Nc’nean’s yeast trials The spirit was distilled in August 2018 and has been aged for three years in a mix of STR-red wine and ex-Bourbon casks the whisky is said to have rich minerality Thomas said: “We’ve been talking a lot about sustainability recently but now it is the turn of some of our spirit experiments to take the spotlight Yeast is something I’ve been fascinated with since day one We’ve been running yeast trials every year and this is the first one to be let loose in the world – it was a favourite of mine when I tasted the new make in 2018 We’ve used the same ratio of casks as our normal Nc’nean Organic so you can really tell the difference the yeast has made In time for Earth Day, Bombay Sapphire has achieved its target to have all 10 botanicals used in its gin recipe certified as sustainable. Bacardi-owned Bombay Sapphire received sustainable certification for eight of its botanicals in March 2021 all 10 botanicals – including juniper from Tuscany lemon peel from Spain and cubeb berries from Java – have been certified sustainable with For Life certification by Ecocert which is crafted at Laverstoke Mill in the UK said global environmental innovation is ‘part of its DNA’ The gin’s home at Laverstoke Mill works to limit its impact on the environment as much as possible and a hydro-electric turbine in the River Test This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.