Today, Nocheluna Sotol, a rare and ‘wild’ spirit originating from the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico, makes its global debut. This unique spirit was created for drink enthusiasts who are drawn to exploration and discovery of the less traveled regions of Mexico. Harvested from the resilient sotol (Dasylirion) plant native to Chihuahua Mexico, Nocheluna Sotol is rooted in North Mexican heritage and the region’s natural elements.
Led by Casa Lumbre, a global spirits team known for its dedication to innovative and unique premium spirits, Nocheluna Sotol tells the distinct and rich history of the relatively unknown category that has been cultivated for generations. Mexico’s rich and diverse terroir offers exciting options beyond tequila and mezcal. More specifically, the Chihuahuan desert is the star of this spirit; the Sotol (Dasylirion) plant thrives in unforgiving desert conditions including hot, dry days and cool nights, allowing for its own special creation, sotol. These environmental factors help the plant yield a liquid with a unique, layered taste profile. The result: a smooth and sophisticated balance of wild herbs, dried stone fruit, caramel and honey, deep minerality and oak firewood – a blend only possible due to the unique desert terroir, and team of experts crafting it.
Nocheluna Sotol was born out of a partnership of a team of local experts and champions: fourth generation Master Vinatero Don “Lalo” Eduardo Arrieta, renowned sotol educator Ricardo Pico, and Chief Innovation Officer and Partner, Iván Saldaña, who, together, leaned into their generational expertise to create this expression. They leveraged traditional hand-harvesting techniques and utilized little to no heavy machinery and brought sustainability to the forefront through responsible plant cultivation – just as Casa Lumbre once pioneered in Mezcal. Nocheluna exclusively sources sotol from ranches that are environmentally supervised and managed by local authorities, as well as invests in growing the overall sotol populations through responsible plant cultivation in existing and new ranches. These new sotol plantations will surpass 850,000 plants this year alone.
“Nocheluna Sotol reflects our dedication to promoting the diversity of Mexico to the world beyond tequila or mezcal and beyond our country’s most visited places,” said Iván Saldaña “We are proud to craft with partners who have already done extraordinary work to raise the profile, awareness, and education of this distillate category and extraordinary region.”
In addition, renowned musician, actor and designer Lenny Kravitz became a partner in Nocheluna Sotol upon discovering the spirit, the team, and the land behind this rare spirit. “As an artist myself, I respect the journey and am inspired by every intricate step of how this team crafts Nocheluna Sotol. I appreciate how this spirit stays true to the traditional ways of making sotol, exemplifying a true understanding of this familial craft,” says Kravitz. “I am honored to bring more awareness to this incredible spirit and region.”
Nocheluna Sotol’s thoughtful desert-to-bottle journey begins with the wild harvest of the native Dasylirion plant overseen by Lalo and his team of seasoned sotoleros. Together, they lead a labor intensive process that involves cooking the plant in cabezas for 72 – 96 hours prior to a week-long fermentation process in open air wood vats before the copper still distillation process.
The journey from desert to bottle is the epitome of artisanal craft methods that has been passed down through generations. “Creating Nocheluna Sotol with this diverse and incredibly talented team is a dream for my family and our Rancho La Vinata team,” said Lalo. “I have dedicated my life to the production of sotol. Our newest partners enable our progress to encourage more people to try the undiscovered beauty of sotol and put the category on the global map.
Another partner, Pernod Ricard, a global spirits company known for their unique portfolio of international premium brands encompassing every major category of wines and spirits, has made an initial undisclosed investment in Nocheluna Sotol. Pernod Ricard furthers enables the sotol category’s journey through investment and an international distribution platform.
“In these partners we have found not just financial investment to enable our work, but partners who help foster awareness which can further allow Mexico to reach all corners of the world”, says Moises Guindi, Casa Lumbre CEO and Co-Founder. “I am proud to have assembled a team who will lead people to discover a new taste of Mexico – one they have not imagined yet.”
Now available in Mexico and in various cities in the U.S. at the suggested retail price of $79.99 (Texas,
California, New York, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois and New Mexico) with nationwide and select
international expansion and distribution by year end.
For more information, visit Nocheluna.com and follow along at @nochelunasotol on Instagram.
About Nocheluna Sotol Nocheluna Sotol is a craft spirit steeped in artisanship. Each batch originates from a meticulous harvest of wild grown sotol plants from our family-owned property, Rancho La Vinata. Nocheluna Sotol’s pronounced and versatile profile is made possible by the layers of flavor of the Dasylirion plant absorbed from the desert terroir. The taste highlights fresh minerality with a light sweetness, balanced with notes of citrus and cacao.
“Wild” is an instinct bestowed upon us by nature. It lives inside us all; a “spirit” that guides us. Discover your own wild spirit. Keep it Wild, Forever.
About Casa Lumbre
Born and based in Mexico, Casa Lumbre is a global spirits company that develops, produces, and incubates premium, award-winning spirits. Originally known for Mezcals, Liqueurs and Tequilas, Casa Lumbre continues to tap into its global values and perspective to expand beyond Mexican distillates.
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