A CAREER IN ART AND FASHION TOOK FOUNDER, ANI LEE AROUND THE WORLD, ALLOWING HER TO EXPERIENCE AND APPRECIATE MANY OF ITS MOST ENDURING CULTURAL TREASURES. IT WAS IN MEXICO THAT SHE PAUSED, A RESPITE THAT WOULD INTRODUCE HER TO HER LIFE’S PASSION, NEW TO ANI BUT A TRADITION STRETCHING BACK CENTURIES.
IT COULD ONLY HAVE BEEN IN MEXICO WHERE SHE CAME TO KNOW MEZCAL AND BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND ITS COMPLEX FLAVORS. LIKE A FINE WINE, MEZCAL CAN BE EXPERTLY PAIRED WITH MANY CUISINES TO CREATE A TRULY IMMERSIVE DINING EXPERIENCE, AND THE SMOKY AGAVE ELIXIR IS EQUALLY AT HOME WHEN SERVED AS AN APERITIF, IN A DESSERT COCKTAIL, OR AS A DIGESTIF.
AS ANI’S AWARENESS OF MEZCAL GREW, SO DID HER APPRECIATION. SHE LEARNED ABOUT THE ARDUOUS WORK BEHIND MEZCAL PRODUCTION AND HOW IT RESTED ON HISTORY AND TRADITION, WHILE CELEBRATING ARTISANAL CRAFTSMANSHIP. RECOGNIZING THE CULTURAL IMPORTANCE OF MEZCAL AS A FORM OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION, BOTH IN ITS CREATION AND ENJOYMENT, SHE DECIDED TO GO DEEPER. INSPIRED TO CREATE A PRODUCT THAT HONORED TRADITIONAL PRODUCTION AND INFUSED CUTTING-EDGE SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES, ANI DREAMED OF SHARING MEZCAL WITH MORE PEOPLE IN MEXICO AND AROUND THE WORLD
THE RESULT IS ORELIA, A HIGH-QUALITY MEZCAL THAT BRINGS TOGETHER THE TIME-HONORED GROWING AND FIRING PRACTICES OF MEZCALERA FARMERS WITH STATE-OF-THE-ART ELECTRIC TAHONAS FOR CRUSHING THE AGAVE. DISTILLED IN A GAS-FUELED COPPER POT STILL USING RECYCLED WATER AND NATURALLY FERMENTED IN PINEWOOD OPEN FERMENTATION, ORELIA IS FOUNDED ON CONTEMPORARY FAIR LABOR PRACTICES, FORGOES ALL ANIMAL LABOR, AND INCLUDES NO ADDITIVES OR ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS. IT IS BOTTLED SUSTAINABLY ON GENERATIONALLY OWNED FAMILY PLOTS.
FEATURING A BOTTLE DESIGN INSPIRED BY ANI’S PERSONAL STYLE AND THE GILDED AESTHETIC OF THE ROARING 1920S, ORELIA IS OFFERED IN TWO PROFILES AS A JOVEN AND AN AÑEJO. THE SILKY SMOOTH JOVEN IS FRUITY WITH NOTES OF CITRUS, PINEAPPLE, AND PEAR UNITED WITH HINTS OF CARAMEL AND SPICE. AGED FOR THREE YEARS, INCLUDING A YEAR IN FRENCH WHITE OAK BARRELS, GOLDEN ORELIA AÑEJO IS SMOKIER WITH ACCENTS OF MAPLE SYRUP AND TOASTED ALMONDS RESULTING IN A PERFECTLY BALANCED PALATE OF SWEETNESS AND SHARPNESS FOUND IN CARAMEL, ORANGE PEEL, AND PILONCILLO.
IT IS THIS INHERENT COMPLEXITY THAT ANI MOST APPRECIATES ABOUT MEZCAL AND AIMS TO SHARE WITH DRINKERS OF ORELIA. KNOWING THAT MANY MEZCALS ARE AN ACQUIRED TASTE, SHE SOUGHT TO CREATE FLAVOR PROFILES THAT ARE MORE APPROACHABLE YET LINGER AND DELIGHT WITH THEIR FINISH. WHILE ORELIA MEZCAL IS IDEAL TO SIP NEAT, OR ON THE ROCKS, IT ALSO OFFERS AN EXCITING BASE FOR COCKTAILS AND PAIRS WONDERFULLY WITH FOOD.
ANI CHOSE THE NAME ORELIA FOR ITS CONNECTIONS TO THE WORD ‘GOLD’ IN MANY LANGUAGES. JUST AS GOLD IS EVERLASTING, SO TOO HAS THE TRADITION OF CRAFTING MEZCAL, NOW OFFERED IN NEW SMOKY-SMOOTH PROFILES FOR TODAY’S DISCERNING PALATES.