A lovely refreshing Pimm’s at Wimbledon. A perfectly poured Guinness on Paddy’s day. A stiff Mint Julep at the Kentucky Derby. And a limited-edition Clase Azul to toast Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). It takes an iconic drink to become synonymous with an historic occasion – and usually a decade or two, meanwhile. For Clase Azul, Mexico’s preeminent super-premium tequila brand, it’s taken five years – and nothing short of a marketing masterstroke.
In 2021, Clase Azul’s founder, Arturo Lomeli, announced the now-lauded Nuestros Recuerdos (Our Memories) series. Each year, to chime with Día de Muertos, the brand would release limited-edition decanters, designed to capture the spirit of the Mexican holiday.
Clase Azul’s ceramic decanters have always been key to distinguishing the brand. Shaped like a peppergrinder or a pawn, each one is meticulously handcrafted by artisans in the Mexican town of Mazahua. Each year, ahead of Día de Muertos, Lomeli selects an artist to design a unique decanter based on a given theme.
The series debuted with Sabores (Flavors), and was followed by Colores (Colors) in 2022, Aromas (Aromas) in 2023 and Musica (Music) in 2024. This year’s decanter, with illustrations designed by Mexican artist Erika Rivera, is the last in the series – so anyone who can get their hands on all five will be onto a good thing.
Based on the theme of Recuerdos (Memories) – a nod to the origins of the holiday, and the friends and family no longer with us – this year’s ivory-hued decanter portrays a traditional ofrenda (altar) surrounded by spirits rendered in gentle tones. The artist describes her creation as “a bridge between ritual and remembrance,” noting that 50 steps were required to bring each ornament to life, ranging from lost wax casting to hand polishing and gold plating.
The tequila for this final edition was crafted under the direction of Clase Azul’s Master Distiller, Viridiana Tinoco, in first-use American whiskey casks. The result is an elegant expression with aromas of cooked agave, smoked wood, orange peel, caramel and clove. The palate reveals orange marmalade and delicate spiced notes of clove and cinnamon, culminating in a long, lingering finish of citrus and toasted wood.
A portion of the agave was cooked in a traditional pit oven, adding richness, depth and a layered complexity, which the distiller describes as an homage to the intricate nature of our most cherished memories, adding that its notes of wood and smoke “awaken vivid memories steeped in deep affection.”
For Tinoco, who worked as a biochemical engineer before completing a master’s degree in tequila, this limited-edition añejos is a nostalgic return to her grandmother’s kitchen and the wood-fired stove where she made tortillas. “Creating this tequila was a way to relive those moments with the heart and transform them into a liquid tribute,” she says. “More than a tequila, it is an act of love – one that turns nostalgia into presence.”
We’ll drink to that. Salud.
