Lockdown Liquor partners with Lost Explorer

London-based ready-to-drink (RTD) brand Lockdown Liquor & Co has created a bottled Picante using The Lost Explorer Mezcal.

The Tequila-based Picante is Lockdown Liquor’s best-selling cocktail. The new version features The Lost Explorer’s Espadín mezcal, which is made using agave cultivated in Valles Centrales, Mexico. The brand describes the mezcal as ‘subtly sweet and mildly smoky’, which complements the ‘fresh’ lime notes and ‘clean heat’ from habanero chillies. Co-founder of Lockdown Liquor, Jack Durling, said: “We are incredibly excited to launch this cocktail, the sweet and herbaceous mezcal adds a different dimension to our award-winning and best-selling fiery classic. “I have been admiring The Lost Explorer for some time, from their beautifully authentic branding and award-winning mezcal, to how they are empowering sustainable Mexican enterprise while at the same time protecting the craft and heritage of mezcal.” The Mezcal Picante is available from the brand’s website for an RRP of £25 (US$32) for a 500ml bottle or £70 (US$90) for a 1.5-litre bottle. The brand had previously made a mezcal-based cocktail with Diageo-owned Mezcal Unión. Lockdown Liquor is part of the Maker’s Alliance, a collective that aims to spotlight emerging beverage categories, alongside non-alcoholic apéritif brand Botivo.