Good Finds: McConaughey’s Tequila, The New Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech, & More

Every week, Boss Hunting’s editors spend far too much time scouring the web: in search of the coolest gear, food & drink deals, and destinations worth trekking to across the globe.

In this week’s edition of Good Finds, we’ve got a trio of tequilas from Matthew McConaughey and his wife Camila Alves, perfumer Christine Nagel’s reimagining of the all-time-great Terre d’Hermès, a ‘hybrid’ cutting board that’s great for both chopping and carving, plus so much more.

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Pantalones Organic Tequila

If the words “celebrity tequila” don’t fill you with confidence, well… that’s not terribly surprising. Still, of all the actors or musicians to start their own tequila brand, Matthew McConaughey isn’t a half-bad option.

The award-winning actor, of True Detective and Interstellar fame, has said “alright, alright, alright” to agave after over half a decade with Wild Turkey; with whom he co-developed the Longbranch bourbon whisky range back in 2016.

His latest adventure, Pantalones, consists of a range of super-premium tequilas made with organic weber agave – grown in the Mexican municipality of Amatitán – and has arrived in Australia this month.

That, admittedly, all sounds pretty familiar, until you get to the list of accolades Pantalones has already won (notably at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition). Both the brand’s Reposado (aged nine months) and Añejo (aged 15 months) bottles hold Double Gold distinctions, and come in flask-esque bottles that make these a joy to share among friends.

The Hoxton Opens In Florence, Italy

The Hoxton, Ennismore’s globe-trotting brand of open house themed hotels, returns to Italy with its second property in the region: The Hoxton Florence.

Nestled in Piazza della Libertà, the historic heart of Italy’s most renowned Renaissance city, the hotel itself combines an ancient heritage with modern DNA: featuring 161 rooms split across two buildings, one a 16th century palazzo; the other an 80s-era structure masterminded by ‘radical design’ innovator Andrea Branzi.

In line with The Hoxton penchant for “welcoming public spaces and exciting dining concepts,” the brand’s Florence outpost boasts a rooftop terrace and verdant outdoor courtyard. The latter connects to Alassio, the hotel’s Riviera-inspired signature restaurant, which specialises in grilled fish and seafood.

Drinkers after something a bit funkier than the city’s traditional institutions (a la Harry’s) should make a beeline for Enoteca Violetta. This moody, laidback bar – serving up big snacks and a 20-page list of local winemakers – is where you’re bound to find us spending a lot of time during Euro summer this year.

Hermès Terre d’Hermès Intense (Eau de Parfum)

One of the classic woody citrus fragrances of the last 20 years, the OG Terre d’Hermès is frequently considered a crowning moment in perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena’s career. Alternately warm, earthy, luminous, and fresh, Ellena’s original formulation (an Eau de Toilette) was meant to evoke, in the wearer, a feeling of connection to the elements of nature.

Thankfully, this emotional mantra persists within Terre d’Hermès eau de parfum intense: a new iteration (referred to by scent nerds as a ‘flanker’) on Ellena’s best-selling men’s fragrance, this time masterminded by in-house perfumer Christine Nagel. 

This EDP’s main accords, which still cleave to the idea of embodying various elements in nature, are all tinged with a hint of fire. At the point of application, this is a much bolder, more savoury take on the original EDT: announcing itself in rakish fashion with bursts of coffee, bergamot, and volcanic stone.

HexClad Hybrid Cutting Board

With a fanbase that includes such mavericks of the culinary world as Clare Smyth and Natsuko Shoji, you best believe Hexclad is a cookware brand we’re poised to look into more closely. 

The label’s hybrid designs are among its most distinctive best-sellers, and – as the name implies – give you multiple culinary applications all within a single product. 

The brand’s (admittedly pricey) beechwood cutting board is a great demonstration of this in action: with one side geared toward chopping, and the other purpose-built to ensure “even, consistent” carving. 

The latter side is particularly clever: incorporating a central plane full of hexagonal divots, so that your large protein of choice stays put during cutting. Excess scraps and liquid can be neatly collected in a detachable steel tray – ideal when you want to save every last drop of the chicken you’ve just carved for the purposes of making a pan sauce.

Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Tech ‘BOC IV’ Limited Edition

Paying tribute to its decades-long commitment to ocean preservation, Blancpain quietly dropped its new Fifty Fathoms Tech ‘BOV IV’ earlier this week. Showcasing the techy iteration of the world’s first historical diving watch – now encased in 45mm of titanium – this 100-piece limited edition threads the needle between philanthropy and exclusivity. 

For every unit sold, Blancpain will be donating €1,000 (~$1,700) to the Sulubaaï Marine Research Centre – an organisation set up to create protected marine areas in coral reef zones around the Philippines. 

Enthusiasts of the revamped Bathyscaphe sub-range – which has included a number of ceramic models since last November – will be familiar with the calibre 1315 that powers the ‘BOV IV’. Beyond the neat looking movement architecture and antimagnetic properties, the big talking point is this calibre’s power reserve.

You can go a whopping five days without actually wearing the thing – making it the perfect companion for desk jockey-weekend warriors.