Meet the Spirits Whisperer
Iván Saldaña has developed more than 60 spirits brands across every category, including whiskey, mezcal, tequila and liqueurs. He’s the co-founder of Casa Lumbre, a kind of creative agency specializing in booze, particularly in products with a Mexican inflection and some within the celebrity realm. For F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, he rustled up a non-alcoholic drink by the name of Almave, which followed hot on the heels of Nocheluna, a sotol developed for Lenny Kravitz.
Contrary to the myth that devising spirits is all about nosing and sipping from age-old barrels in dank cellars, Saldaña spends most of his time in a white coat and pristine laboratory. This befits someone whose doctorate is in biology, specializing in tropical ecology and the study of how plants sense and adapt to harsh conditions.
It might seem like an odd background for spirits creation. But credit fortunate timing, including a crisis in the tequila industry, that made Saldaña realize “how little the industry knew about its raw materials.” That led to his career being deflected away from academia. Now, he's the man to call if you want a buzzy new drink.
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