As part of Richard Caring’s “Annabel’s for the Amazon” philanthropic reforestation drive, the world-famous London members’ club has launched a special edition of The Lost Explorer artisanal mezcal from Oaxaca. And if you puzzle at the connection between the dry sierras of Oaxaca and the rainforests of South America, the link between the arid and the lush is a commitment to the environment.

Annabel’s for the Amazon x The Lost Explorer comes in a specially designed bottle and presentation case, adorned with images of jaguars, tree frogs and tropical foliage, echoing Annabel’s current rainforest-inspired façade, lobby and (judging by the DJ spinning on the launch evening) dress code. Only 1,000 bottles will be available, but the proceeds will contribute to the planting of 35,000 trees, through The Caring Family Foundation’s partnership with Amazonia SOS. The ultimate aim is to replant one million trees, making The Caring Family Foundation and Annabel’s the UK’s largest donors to reforestation in the Amazon.

Sustainability is at the heart of The Lost Explorer’s approach to mezcal. As intensive agave farming and industrial methods have damaged both the reputation of tequila (despite the efforts of the more scrupulous brands) and the landscape of Jalisco. Agave spirit producers such as The Lost Explorer are keen the same doesn’t happen in Oaxaca and the other mezcal states. The brand uses a mix of wild and cultivated agaves, and plants three new hijuelos – shoots – for every agave it harvests by hand.

Furthermore, The Lost Explorer’s approach to production involves the traditional, handcrafted methods which take longer and are more expensive but result in a far better liquid. For example, the sugar-rich hearts of the agave plants, the piñas, are slow cooked in a covered fire pit – horno de tierra – for three days, before another two days’ cooling. Maestro Mezcalero Don Fortino Ramos also refuses to use commercial yeasts to kick-start fermentation, allowing only the natural yeasts on the plant and in the air to (eventually) do their work of converting sugar to alcohol.

There are around 200 different species of agave, but, unlike tequila, which must be made with Blue Weber, mezcal can be made with any species. Ramos investigates the possibilities of these varietals, like a winemaker with different grapes, so the different expressions are an individual statement of varietal and terroir. None are aged in wood, so the flavours are entirely from the plant and distillation.

The most unusual available in the UK is from the huge wild Salmiana agaves, whose piñas – the size of a crouching human – have to be dragged from the remote locations where they grow. This is the most herbaceous version: dry, fresh and vegetal with bright citrus notes (grapefruit), salinity, green chilli heat and a (not unpleasant) touch of petrol fumes. It would make an incredible dry martini. The Tobala (semi-cultivated by planting in the wild) is closer to a single malt Scotch in profile – leather, tobacco and dark chocolate notes, with wood and vanilla tones, despite the fact that it is not cask-aged.

The varietal that is used in the Annabel’s special edition is made with Espadin agave. This is the most familiar flavour of mezcal because many people expect all agave to be smoky. This does carry smoke, but it is only one aspect of a wonderfully multi-layered profile. The aroma and flavour come in waves of sweetness, different orchard fruits and herbs, before the smoke reveals itself late in the sip, giving a lingering dry finish.

The special edition is priced at £120 and is available from Selfridges, Hedonism Wines and The Whisky Shop. annabels.co.uk; thelostexplorermezcal.com