Leticia “Leti” Fernández de Mesa’s journey as a spirits maker started as naturally as the flowers that inspired her.
An art history graduate, the Spanish-born Mesa started her career at the flagship location of prestigious art auction house, Sotheby’s before returning to Madrid to continue her career at gallery, Distrito 4. Spain proved to be both good in business and love when she met her husband Iñigo Torres.
The couple honeymooned in Colombia, fell in love with its natural beauty, and decided to move there. They opened an auction house in Bogota, specializing in contemporary art. “That was a very important platform that did not exist in the art world. It was a major step not only for Colombia, but for the region, says Mesa.
In their spare time, they would explore the countryside outside of Bogota. “This is where our fascination with the natural world all started,” says Mesa, who started researching the glorious flora of the region – especially the edible flowers that grew there in abundance. To Mesa, the flowers were just another extension of her love of art, and she started experimenting with different infusions and tinctures made with the edible flowers she collected. “I’ve always been a perpetual seeker of beauty in different ways,” she says, adding, “What if you can sip on beauty?”
At first, Mesa created infusions in her kitchen, using friends as taste testers. After working with countless flowers, she discovered the begonia. “There are more than 1,000 species of begonias and when they’re out in nature they have no aroma. But, when you infuse the begonia, it comes alive. It’s truly a magical flower. This is what changed everything,” she recalls.
After enjoying at-home martinis infused with the intoxicating scent of begonias, Mesa had the idea to incorporate it directly into a spirit. “The idea was to figure out how to share this discovery and showcase these flowers into a drinkable essence.”
Mesa knew that vodka had to be the base spirit for the liquid. “Vodka is the purest of the spirits and we believe it’s the best vehicle to showcase these flowers. The principle is that only the purest vodka can respect the purity of the flowers.” Mesa and her husband spent four years trying to perfect the base liquid, trying hundreds of vodkas before coming up with a liquid eight times distilled from Florida corn (a nod to the distillery’s South Florida location). Mesa also chose to distillate the vodka to 70 proof, rather than the industry norm of 90 proof. “It’s more of a flavor issue,” says Mesa, adding that the slightly lower proof allows the floral notes to stand out.
Finally, Mesa worked with a team of scent makers from France for the floral infusions. “At first, we used actual flowers, but we simply could not grow enough. We then turned to the same French essence makers who create some of the finest scents in the world.” Mesa knew that the angel begonia, which had previously never been used in a spirit would be the star, but needed other notes to balance it out. She finally came upon the perfect formula: “The begonia is first, then we compliment it with brightness from the orange blossom. Finally, we add vanilla flower to add sweetness and depth.”
The result is a blush-tinted liquid that’s fresh and floral. To crown the bottle, Mesa designed a red crystal flower as a stopper and named the creation UNA. “It means ‘unique and singular’ – just like the experience you’re going to have when you sip on it,” says Mesa, adding, “UNA is a way to blend the beauty I found in Latin America and a way to tell that story of discovery.”
Mesa launched UNA in 2022. Although it technically falls into the flavored vodka category, she says it’s a million miles away from many artificially sweet spirits. “If I had to describe it, it’s a refined, sophisticated experience with a clean finish.” Mesa adds that, for centuries, people have been drinking spirits infused with florals and herbs, but this is a new way to marry them together.
Mesa’s favorite way of drinking UNA is in a simple martini. “I just shake UNA with ice until chilled and pour into a cold martini glass, garnished with a flower.” She adds that it’s magnificent in a lychee martini. “The lychees work so well with the floral notes.” The UNA creator says the most fun part of her job is having bartenders experiment and come up with their own recipes. “I like to say UNA is the perfect canvas for cocktails.”
Florals are trending now, with cocktails made with violets, elderflower, and pea flowers showing up at lounges throughout the world. Mesa says she now sees flowers everywhere. “I see flowers in fashion, I see flowers in pastries. I had the chance to be in New York in June and the storefronts were blooming with flowers. It is amazing. Flowers are in our lives in the good moments and even the sad. We all connect with flowers.”
Right now, UNA is available in liquor stores in Florida, Texas, and California. In addition, it’s available online nationwide at unavodka.com. Mesa says that she’s hoping that UNA will soon grow as bountiful as the lush countryside in which it was born. “I like to tell people that giving the gift of UNA is like giving flowers you can drink. Each sip tells a story of adventure and exploration.”
