375 PARK AVENUE SPIRITS ANNOUNCES US IMPORT & DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT WITH WAHAKA MEZCAL, ONE OF MEXICO'S LONGEST STANDING AND STILL INDEPENDENT ARTISANAL, CRAFT MEZCAL DISTILLERIES

Wahaka Mezcal's range of artisanal and organic, 100% agave mezcal products is set to expand its reach into the U.S. market in partnership with 375 Park Avenue Spirits, a division of the Sazerac Company.

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Dec. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- 375 Park Avenue Spirits is pleased to announce that it has entered into a spirits distribution agreement with Wahaka Mezcal, one of Mexico's most authentic and independent craft mezcal distilleries, Under this agreement, 375 Park Avenue Spirits will assume responsibility for all sales of Wahaka's unique portfolio of super-premium mezcal spirits within the USA, as well as supporting the brand's marketing efforts in the US market.

Launched in 2010, Wahaka Mezcal was one of the first artisanal mezcal brands to enter the U.S. market. It remains one of the few independently owned mezcal brands, with partners committed to fair trade, social responsibility, and environmental practices since its inception. Wahaka was the first major artisanal mezcal brand to include the mezcalero family as equity shareholders, ensuring that the fifth-generation Zapotec family benefits from the business's growth and success. Additionally, Wahaka pioneered a wild agave reforestation program, planting thousands of rare varietals each year. Known for its market-leading portfolio, Wahaka is vertically integrated, controlling the process from agave cultivation to bottling. This approach has allowed the brand to introduce creative and unique expressions of mezcal. All Wahaka products follow the same traditional process: the agaves are slow-roasted underground, mashed using a horse-drawn tahona (stone mill), fermented in open-air vats, and distilled twice in copper stills. Wahaka's mezcal, crafted in small batches at its family-owned palenque (distillery) in San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca, is 100% agave, USDA-certified, and Kosher-certified.

Commenting on the announcement, Jason Schladenhauffen, President & CEO of 375 Park Avenue said: "We're thrilled to be adding the Wahaka brand to our portfolio of exceptional brands.  Wahaka is a pioneer in the Mezcal category, being one of the first brands to enter the U.S. market back in 2010.  It complements our existing Agave range incredibly well and we're honored to have it serve as our singular Mezcal offering.  We look forward to working closely with Alberto, Alejandro and the Wahaka team to achieve the brand's full potential over the months and years ahead."

Alejandro Santa Cruz, Co-founder of Wahaka Mezcal, said: "Since we launched the brand in 2010, we've been growing our market largely on our own with very limited resources. We've never had a team of brand ambassadors and have always worked with small and medium-sized distributors in each state. Even so, Wahaka has become one of the most emblematic and recognized brands in the market. As the mezcal category continues to grow and more brands enter the space, we realize we can no longer do everything ourselves. We need the help of a 'Big Brother' to continue reaching mezcal lovers across the country. After searching for the right distribution partner to expand our footprint in the U.S. for several years, we're thrilled to be taking this next step in our journey with the formidable 375 Park Avenue team. We couldn't ask for a better partner to help us maintain our first-mover advantage and continue growing our presence in an increasingly competitive market. We can't wait to see Wahaka's potential realized with the support and backbone of a company like 375 Park Avenue."

Wahaka Mezcal's family of products will be available through 375 Park Avenue Spirits distribution network in the U.S. as of January 1^st, 2025, including the following products:

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Espadin: (40% ABV) The Classic Mezcal - Our Joven Espadin elegantly delivers what pure mezcal is all about – a balance of smoke and sweetness, delicately poised in every single glass.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Madre Cuishe: (42% ABV) Earth Embodied - This unique mezcal is distilled using one of the rarest agaves, the Madre Cuishe. Perfectly un-aged, it celebrates the agave's natural environment of volcanic terrain, dry conditions and warm temperatures with earthly mineral notes.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Tobala: (42% ABV) The King of Mezcales - No other agave produces the variety of aromas and flavors as the wild Tobalá, giving this mezcal an immediately distinguishable aroma and explosive taste enriched with sweet floral and herbaceous notes.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Ensamble: (40% ABV) A Symphony of Perfection - Perhaps one of the most unique members of our line-up, a true blend of Espadín (50%), Madre Cuishe (25%), and Tobalá (25%) agaves that are cooked, fermented, and distilled together. Our Ensamble is a magical mezcal that is un-aged, allowing the flavors, aroma and character of each agave to clearly present themselves.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Reposado con Gusano: (40% ABV) Smooth & Unique - Aged for up to six months in charred, Mexican oak barrels, it is the epitome of smooth with its light golden color and lustrous flavor enhanced with the addition of the agave worm, an age-old, proven method for clarifying the radicals of the barrel while enhancing its overall flavor with notes of earth and salt.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Botaniko: (45% ABV) Our Mezcal Gin - Distilled with a bag of a herbs and spices collected from nearby fields around San Dionisio. The process creates a clean mezcal, white with a hint of green. Juniper and cardamom to offer a touch of freshness on the nose. Slightly exotic, stylish and very florally expressive.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Manzanita: (45% ABV) Garden of Eden - Distilled with organic heirloom apples endemic to Oaxaca, the Manzanita is characterized by not-too-sweet not-too-tart apple flavors that add to the classic notes of earth, smoke and subtle sweetness.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Jabali: (47% ABV) The Boar's Fang - This semi-cultivated agave, which takes between 10 and 12 years to reach maturity, produces an explosively flavorful mezcal with intense sweetness, pine and herbaceous notes.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Tepeztate: (47% ABV) Our Mezcal Grappa – From an agave varietal that requires 25 to 30 years before harvest, this mezcal has a pungent fragrance and offers earthy, grassy notes with an almost grappa-like tannic quality.

Wahaka Mezcal Joven Ancestral: (47% ABV) Ancestral Mezcal – The Wahaka palenque has long had a clay still but it was reserved for special distillations made for weddings, quincieañeras and religious holidays. This is the first of our mezcales distilled in clay and is a blend of 80% Espadín and 20% Arroqueño, producing a smoky, mineral mezcal with gorgonzola notes, with a distinctive texture from clay still.

The below is set to follow in the near future:

Zaponauta: (20% ABV) To the Moon! – Wahaka's first foray into the liqueur arena comes in the form of Oaxacan coffee perfectly blended with mezcal and agave syrup. A secret recipe that hails from Beto's mother, this coffee mezcal liqueur is sure to please many a palate looking for an alternative to the popular espresso martinis or carajillos.

About Wahaka Mezcal
Wahaka® Mezcal s an artisanal, small-batch mezcal produced by a Zapotec family in San Dionisio Ocotepec, Oaxaca — the heart of mezcal country, renowned for its diverse agave varieties. Our mezcal offers a multi-sensory experience and is recognized as one of the best on the market. Launched in August 2010, Wahaka Mezcal is the result of a group of long-time Mexican friends who found a home in San Dionisio Ocotepec and immediately formed a bond with Maestro Alberto "Beto" Morales Mendez and his family. Together, they set out not only to create an award-winning product but also to develop a brand focused on community support and the sustainability of the agave used in production. This vision led to the birth of Wahaka Mezcal. Today, Maestro Beto remains the sole creator of Wahaka mezcales, personally overseeing the process from harvest to bottling. His dedication quickly bore fruit, as Wahaka Mezcal has won numerous national and international awards, including a Double Gold for its Joven Tobalá at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2012, four Silver Medals at the 2011 New York International Spirits Competition, recognition at the 2012 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, and recent gold and silver medals in the Tokyo Spirits competition. Using traditional processes perfected over 400 years, the Morales family has mastered the art of mezcal distillation, passing this knowledge down through generations.

For more information on Wahaka Mezcal, please visit www.wahakamezcal.com

About 375 Park Avenue Spirits
375 Park Avenue Spirits is an owned selling division of Sazerac that specializes in brand development and using the art of storytelling to connect our brands to consumers. The company is known today for offering a best in class one stop shop for brands looking to take the next step on their growth trajectory while accessing one of the finest distribution networks in the industry.  Our portfolio covers a wide range of categories from all over the world, brands like Rain Vodka from the U.S., Sobieski Vodka from Poland, Cutty Sark Blended Scotch, J.P. Wiser's Canadian Whisky, Scapegrace Gin from New Zealand, Devils River Whiskey, Kaiyo Japanese Whisky and many others. For more information on 375 Park Avenue Spirits, please visit www.375park.com. 

About Sazerac
With over 400 years of history, Sazerac is one of the world's largest distilled spirits companies. Now in the fourth generation of the current family ownership, Sazerac strives each day to bring the finest spirits to consumers and communities around the world.  

Over 500 of the world's most extraordinary brands are part of the Sazerac portfolio, including Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Eagle Rare, Weller, The Last Drop Distillers, Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, Southern Comfort, Wheatley Vodka, Meyers's Rum, White X Cognac, Sazerac de Forge Cognac, Paddy's Irish Whiskey, and many more. 

Sazerac is also the steward of many fine distilleries internationally, including Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky, United States; Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in Cognac, France; Paul John Distillery in Goa, India; and Lough Gill Distillery in County Sligo, Ireland. Additional impressive locations can be found in New Orleans, Montréal, London, Cork and Sydney, to name a few.  

To learn more visit www.sazerac.com. 

SOURCE 375 Park Avenue Spirits