The Journey of One With Life — From New York to Key West.

Living, drinking in the moment

The Journey of One With Life — From New York to Key West. - A group of people posing for a photo - Key West
Lisa Elovich brandishes her signature tequila. BRITT MYERS/Keys Weekly

Lisa Elovich describes her One With Life (OWL) organic tequila as “99% peaceful 1% wild!”. A fitting tagline, not only for a tequila that Forbes recently named to its “Top Tequilas To Drink This Autumn”—but one that is equally symbolic of Elovich’s journey from attorney, judge, life coach and boxing promoter to a practitioner of peacefulness and adventure in the tequila business.

Recently, One With Life Tequila was the official tequila of Fantasy Fest. But the brand’s passage into the Southernmost City began in upstate New York, where Elovich’s career as a criminal justice attorney spanned from assistant district attorney in the Manhattan district attorney’s office to law judge for the Department of Children and Family Services.

“I did go through some inner-engineering at the age of 40,” said Elovich. “A divorce and retirement prompted a shift in consciousness.”

Elovich said she experienced a life-changing shift after studying Eastern philosophy, yoga and Buddhism — where she learned that a sense of peace can be installed into any industry.

“When I decided to retire from the state, I knew I wanted to do something like boxing that is fun, adventurous and mysterious,” said Elovich. “And one day, after reading a book by Eckhart Tolle, I was sitting on the beach thinking about how I could be one with life and I began my vision for One With Life.”

Elovich said she chose tequila because it is the drink among friends that embodies laughter and not “taking oneself too seriously.” And that OWL was the metaphor that symbolized “being in the moment.”

Fantasy Fest Queen Bernadette Restivo samples OWL tequila. LISA ELOVICH/Contributed

“I truly believe you create your own reality by starting with a thought and then taking huge steps to create a dream,” said Elovich. “I didn’t just want to create a pure, organic tequila. I wanted to use it as a vessel to spread the message of ‘one with life.’”

Soon after her epiphany, Elovich began intensive research on tequila — from the aging processes to harvesting. And after contacting various journalists through articles she had read, Elovich connected with Gonzalo Spindola-Garcia, who would shape her dream.

“Gonzalo introduced me to the Montez brothers in Mexico,” said Elovich. “They have big brands of tequila, but they also produce a clean, pure, organic tequila. I knew this was the distillery I wanted to work with.”

Today, One With Life Tequila is served in more than 400 accounts from New York to Key West and is rapidly expanding. OWL is made with no simple sugar and its agave plant takes seven years to develop. The Montez brothers use no pesticides on the agave plants, instead using traps for invasive bugs.

“OWL is truly authentic and organic,” said Elovich. “It is 100 percent pure. No yeast. No preservatives. All agave with natural airborne fermentation and distilled water.”

In another serendipitous turn, Elovich met seasoned spirits sales director Grant Portier, through Portier’s fiancé at 22&Co Bar in Key West. Portier, who spent eight years as state manager for Tito’s Vodka, eventually made the jump to Elovich’s team.

“It’s a tiny family brand with so much potential,” said Portier. “We don’t have the assets of big brands, but building brands is what I love to do. Love the quality of OWL’s story. We are a bunch of passionate people working to build an amazing brand.”

Even OWL’s bottle is unique. The logo includes the tree of life—representative of the connectivity to the universe. And each bottle has a unique passage, along with the company’s toast.

“We are the only tequila that is made on the spiritual concept of being at one with the moment,” said Elovich. “Key West is the epitome of the OWL philosophy. People come here because they want to be one with life. And I’m just happy to be a part of it.”

For more visit: www.onewithlifetequila.com

THE ONE WITH LIFE TOAST:
BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.
BE KIND WHENEVER POSSIBLE. IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
SMILE, BREATHE…AND GO THOUGHTFULLY…
BE YOURSELF. EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY TAKEN.
YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE YOUR WORLD.
THE TIME IS ALWAYS NOW

Britt Myers traded in a life of monetary success, a chiseled body and intellectual enlightenment for a piece of the pie of the Keys Weekly newspapers. He is also the proud parent of an incredible six-year-old and a sucker for Michael Mann movies and convenience store hot dogs.