24-03-2025
GG Mirvis Is On A Mission To Change Americans' Minds About Mezcal
GG Mirvis is the founder of Desolas Mezcal, an herbaceous, light mezcal that isn't too smoky.
GG Mirvis wants to change the perception of mezcal in the United States. She's on a mission to change people's minds about mezcal.
'There's so much more to mezcal than just smoke,' Mirvis says.
Mirvis, who previously had founded a tequila and coconut water brand called TIQO while in college, had been trying a lot of different mezcals in Mexico, and she realized that too many mezcals that were available in the United States tasted too similar to each other.
'There really is so much more to mezcal, and it can have such a beautiful, complex flavor,' Mirvis says.
Mirvis became particularly enamored with a mezcal that was made from agave salmiana, which is different from agave espadín, which is the type of agave many mezcals are made from. 'The salmiana grows seven feet tall and twice as wide, and it can take up to 25 years for it to reach maturity,' Mirvis says. 'The salmiana makes this super herbal, fresh mezcal that is kind of complicated with a bit of vegetal flavor.'
It took Mirvis three years before she launched her mezcal brand, Desolas Mezcal, in February 2020. Desolas, which means 'of the sun, light or to illuminate,' was crafted from salmiana agave. But to differentiate it further, this agave is roasted above ground instead of covered with earth. 'We roast above ground so you get more of a salmiana agave taste,' she says. 'I personally think Desolas tastes like it has a little bit of sun it in. It's a light and fresh mezcal.'
'We launched it in New York, just before the world ended,' Mirvis says.
Since its launch in 2020, Desolas has expanded to Florida, California, New Jersey, Georgia, Colorado and Texas. This year, Desolas will be expanding to Tennessee.
Desolas's rapid growth matches what is being seen in tequila and mezcal markets throughout the United States.
Since 2003, tequila and mezcal has grown 294 percent, with an average rate of 7.1 percent per year, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. According to Global Market Insights, the global mezcal market was valued at $570.2 million, and it is projected to expand more than 11.9 percent CAGR from 2025 to 2034. Mezcal exports from Mexico, the Global Market Insights report says, grew by 40 percent in 2022, with the United States accounting for nearly 70 percent of all mezcal exports.
In 2024, Desolas grew 103 percent. It also has earned quite a bit of accolades. Desolas received Best of Class honors at the New York World Spirits Competition, crowned "Best Mezcal in The World" by The Tasting Alliance. Desolas also earned Double Gold at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition for the second year in a row, along with a 95-point score from The Tasting Alliance.
'It's interesting,' she says. 'A lot of times people will tell me 'I don't like mezcal, it's too smoky,' and then they try Desolas and then say 'Oh, I love that. When I realized that, I decided I'm going to go full force on that.'
In promoting her brand, Mirvis often encounters people who say that they don't like the taste of mezcal. 'It's interesting,' she says. 'A lot of times people will tell me 'I don't like mezcal, it's too smoky,' and then they try Desolas and then say 'Oh, I love that. When I realized that, I decided I'm going to go full force on that.'
Mirvis recommends first trying Desolas on its own, over ice, with an orange slice to open up its flavors. She also encourages people to play around with Desolas in cocktails. 'Negronis are my favorite cocktail, and I love Desolas in a negroni with a little chocolate bitters, which adds this whole level of delicious,' she says.
