Desolas Mezcal Founder GG Mirvis Celebrates in Mezcal Style at the Esme

Photography by Alex Enescu on April 15th, 2023 in Editorials

Miami Beach, FL – April 15, 2023 – The female-founded spirit Desolas Mezcal hosted a marvelous night at the Esme Hotel filled with delightful mezcal cocktails and birthday wishes for the visionary behind the brand, GG Mirvis, on April 15th. El Salon, a charming room tucked away on the side of the Esme Hotel, was transformed into an intimate party adorned with roses. VIPs and friends of the founder mingled and enjoyed the soundscapes by a special guest DJ. Mirvis even stepped behind the DJ booth during the evening, filling the room with tropical beats and lively energy.

Desolas Mezcal is delicately handcrafted from the Salmiana Agave in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, creating a distinct, low-smoke mezcal with an earthy, fresh and botanical aroma. The unique spirit lent itself to an amazing array of cocktails such as The Goldie, I Love Watermelon and Rosa Picante – all curated especially for the night with some of GG’s favorite Desolas recipes.

WRE: When did you decide to start Desolas, where did the inspiration come from?

GG Mirvis: I’ve been in the agave spirits for about 10 years now. My first venture into this industry was during my time at college where I started a tequila and coconut water brand. I was traveling toMexico all the time and immediately fell in love with the world of agave spirits. During my travels to Mexico City years ago, I noticed that everyone was drinking mezcal. I started really understanding mezcal and learning about all the different types available and the different types of agaves that I enjoyed. But when I was back in the US, I realized that there wasn’t much variation here from the typical smoky mezcal made from espadin agave. After exiting from my tequila and coconut water company, I decided that I wanted to bottle an approachable mezcal, one that was from a type of agave that I fell in love with – Salmiana agave, and was different from what was readily available. I connected with the family in Mexico that I had worked with on my first project and the rest is history.

I decided that I wanted to bottle an approachable mezcal, one that was from a type of agave that I fell in love with – Salmiana

GG Mirvis

GG Mirvis

GG Mirvis

Priya Karani & GG Mirvis

WRE: What challenges have you faced in creating a mezcal company?

GM: We launched Desolas Mezcal in February 2020 right before the world closed. We had to quickly change our original rollout plans and find ways to make it work.I think the most important thing we did as a company was to steer clear of making rash decisions but still find ways to be creative when facing hardships. Our plans had to be altered, but we kept focus on our goals and found ways of growing even when faced with uncertainty.

WRE: What are you most proud of in your product or process?

GM: Careful artistry is needed to produce mezcal from this agave species, and we are very proud of creating a product that conserves the quality of production and respects the wellbeing of our producers as well as the environment. It is very important to me to honor the tradition and history behind mezcal every step of the way.

GG Mirvis

GG Mirvis

It is very important to me to honor the tradition and history behind mezcal every step of the way.

GG Mirvis

Laura Mirvis, Ludo Audedson, Maks Ezrin, & Johanna Thuringer

WRE: Where does the name Desolas come from?
GG: Desolas is a word inspired by the sun (of the “sol”). I borrowed elements intertwined with positivity, light, warmth, illumination and together this word accurately represents that.

What makes Desolas Mezcal stand out?
GG: Desolas is produced from 100% Salmiana Agave from San Luis Potosi. It showcases mezcal in a different light than usual. It creates an earthier, more agave-forward, almost citrusy flavor. The piñas are cooked in above ground ovens known as “hornos” instead of an underground pit, resulting in a mezcal with a low smoke aroma.

Jessica Carraoccio, Josephine Campeau, & Jenna Laskar

WRE: Tell us about the idea in joining forces with Esme? Where do the two brands align?
From my first step into the Esme hotel, I fell in love with it. First of all the area, Espanola Way, has so much history as it was built in the 20s to serve as an artists’ colony. El Salon is probably one of my favorite not yet known spaces in Miami right now – it is so charming and romantic and well done. Like with the ethos of Desolas, Esme sheds a new perspective and beautiful light to an already historic area of Miami – allowing people to discover something they may have not discovered otherwise.

WRE: What’s next for Desolas?
We are currently in five markets and are getting ready to announce our expansion into a couple of new markets for Desolas. We are growing the brand slowly and methodically. We like to make sure that wherever Desolas is available, we have the team and resources in place to grow strategically.

We are also currently aging a mezcal that’s going to have a very interesting flavor (it is amazing) and have been designing a very special bottle to go along with it. We’ve been working on this project for a while now and are excited to unveil the final product.