A conversation with Leticia Fernández de Mesa: Founder of UNA Vodka and the 'liquid shape of beauty' - The Manual

You will soon learn, like we have, that the UNA vodka brand is almost nothing like contemporary spirits companies. Leticia Fernández de Mesa, UNA’s CEO and founder, has a career trajectory that’s quite a bit different than most distillers or spirit makers. Instead of working in the beverage or hospitality industry, she comes directly from the fine art world. From working with Sotheby’s to driving the iconic UNA brand of today, she’s here to talk with The Manual about her journey and “the liquid shape of beauty” that she calls UNA, the flower-infused and handcrafted vodka from Florida.

Interviewer Dan Gaul asked about the move from fine art to the world of spirits. De Mesa agreed it was a huge change, but she said it made sense for her journey.

“It is a 180 shift from my art dealing career to the spirits industry,” she said. “And I guess it’s the perpetual seeking of how to experience beauty in different ways. I’ve always looked for beauty, to surround myself with beauty, not in a snobbish way, but in a way that helps you identify yourself more and to know yourself more. This is what led me to go into the spirits industry and launch a product that would excite, that would amaze, and that would help identify with the consumers.”

“[…] You are drinking nature’s finest.”

When asked how she thought her background in art shaped the way she presented and prompted UNA, de Mesa said she focuses on bringing “beauty to life.”

“Everything about UNA is based on giving that perception of how to identify beauty, how you can experience different things, how you can amaze, [and] how you can excite people,” de Mesa said. “Our ethos in the brand, from our liquid to how we present the bottle — I think UNA’s bottle speaks for itself — you can see how much creativity goes into everything. Also, in every experience we give our consumers, our activations, everything about the brand, is focused on bringing this beauty to life. Because you are drinking nature’s finest, which are flowers.”

As a revolutionary flower-infused spirit, UNA Vodka seduces with the natural flavors of begonia and other blooms. But make no mistake about it—there are over 1,000 species of begonia that can be used in a beverage like this. The flower is native to tropical and subtropical regions but has now spread all over the world and is thriving in gardens virtually everywhere.

“UNA is about making moments last, telling a story through every single sip, and like a piece of art, we’re telling a story just as a brush stroke, not on a painting.”

The brand’s in-house flower lab infusions create a signature flavor profile that you won’t find anywhere else. All while offering a naturally gluten-free, sophisticated, 35% alcohol spirit. Due to the complex and elegant flavors, UNA Vodka offers limitless cocktail possibilities, which UNA calls “the liquid shape of beauty.”

“UNA is about making moments last, telling a story through every single sip, and like a piece of art, we’re telling a story just as a brush stroke, not on a painting,” de Mesa said. “It’s a story of adventure, it’s a story of love, of fascination, and whatever else the journey may bring. Art has always been about finding beauty in meaning in the world around us, and that’s impassioned me to create UNA.”

Speaking more on the creation of the brand, de Mesa explained that the flower is the real focal point. “Our journey with UNA began with a deep dive into the world of these edible flowers […] especially begonia. That’s where this journey truly began and it actually took us four years to perfect this formula, believe it or not.

“We wanted to create something unique, something special, and vodka was the perfect canvas to introduce the essence, and the hues of these flowers. The [pink] lush hues in UNA come from the begonia, which is truly a unique and singular flower — what UNA means: unique and singular — and that’s the principal flower of our essence.”

During the interview, Gaul described his tasteful experience. “I literally could sit down and probably sip this without any issue, and don’t feel that [I would be sugared out] here,” he said. “I could sip this throughout an evening and be happy with it, and not be overwhelmed. […] The vodka really does a favor to the begonia because the vodka is not the primary component of this. It really is those complex flavors that are coming out but in such a wonderful, subtle way, that, again, you can enjoy it and not be overwhelmed.”

“UNA is so exciting every single day. Not only working with artists, but people on the team are incredible, they’re masterminds, they’re fierce.”

“I love that you said you can enjoy it because UNA is made for that smooth journey,” de Mesa agreed. “To really enjoy something different because when you start with UNA, you can really continue with UNA. You’re not going to get tired of it. It just continues to grow on you and grow on you. So, I’m very proud to say that in the places where we’re in, I go there for dinner and watch people. Of course, I’m obsessed because UNA has taken over my life. But I just watch how people sip it. And usually, if they start with a cocktail of UNA, they’ll stay with a cocktail of UNA — they won’t change.”

Switching gears a little to praise her team, de Mesa said besides being led by a woman, the UNA team is also mainly comprised of women. “UNA is so exciting every single day,” she said. “Not only working with artists, but people on the team are incredible, they’re masterminds, they’re fierce. We’re mainly women and it’s just crazy how much creativity we all have. I include myself but UNA wouldn’t be on the market if it wasn’t for these crazy minds around it. It’s really exciting even though there are a ton of worries every single day and barriers that we have to overcome, but it’s fun.”

Before closing the interview, de Mesa considered the future and where UNA is headed. But she also took a moment to look at why the brand exists in the first place.

“Every time I speak with somebody about the industry or some friends that want to launch a new brand to market, I always get to the conclusion the markets everybody tells you ‘don’t get into this market, don’t get into this market,’ are the ones that are go for it. Don’t be afraid. I’m not afraid. I know it’s crazy but if I would have followed that advice UNA wouldn’t be in the market,” she said.

It is a unique story, one we’ve never seen before, but it has also resulted in a spirit that, for lack of a better phrase, is truly unique.

“It is amazing to see how this story resonates with people, not only people from the industry, but it’s amazing to be able — and I find myself in a very privileged position — to share this journey and how it resonates,” de Mesa said. “It’s just fascinating to be able to talk to [everyone] and be able to sip on UNA. For me, every bottle that gets to a nice home is just a story of success. So I just focus on that and continue growing.”