Everyone has their go-to drink of choice. For some it’s a robust glass of red wine or a particular brut of champagne. For others it’s craft beer, some barrel aged in the finest of casks. For me, Tequila is an eclectic libation not to be solely filed under the average partygoer shot session.

Over the years as we have traveled to different parts of the world, we’ve noticed that Tequila is almost always on the menu; some restaurants having a laundry list of vintages to select. And while I have always enjoyed a margarita like the next girl, it was in Mexico that I was finally introduced to what I consider as the champagne of Tequila…Clase Azul.

All tequila comes from the Tequila region of Mexico, and in order for a spirit to call itself “tequila,” it must be distilled from agave plants grown in that region. Made from blue agave plants in Mexico, Clase Azul Reposado Tequila features notes of spice, cream soda, apple cider, jasmine, cinnamon and honey. The bottles, meantime, are like a work of art, inspired by traditional Mexican colors and motifs. Each bottle is hand-crafted and hand-painted, so no two are alike.

Of the 180 employees who work at the Santa Maria Canchesda Clase Azul location, 80% are women who grew up in poverty and with little, if any, formal schooling. 

We love a good story & Clase Azul has just that. The Santa Maria community is representative of what Clase Azul owners Arturo Lomeli and Juan Sanchez believe is their business’ ultimate purpose: “to celebrate the magic of Mexican culture and artistry, while transforming lives through positive engagement.”

We stumbled across Clase Azul while staying at the posh Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal located on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula between San Jose Del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. It was a girls getaway to remember as we entered our spacious 2-storey, 2-bedroom villa to a welcome Tequila amenity. A mini bottle of Clase Azul with all the trimmings. Needless to say we took Tequila & tacos to a whole new level that weekend & immediately purchased a couple of bottles on our arrival back home. Note that it’s actually the same price to purchase this seductive sipper in Mexico or on the USA east coast.

Teach me your Tequila ways…Reposado tequila is also aged but the aging process can be anywhere from two months to 11 months. It has a smooth, even finish. It’s less harsh on the tongue and won’t give you as strong as a hangover… provided that you’re sipping responsibly of course.

My personal favorite is Mezcal. Queue the smoke filled jazz bar of your dreams where the cocktail you sip as equally as smokey. The “cousin” of tequila, Mexcal is made from the same blue agave plant in the “Tequila” region of Mexico & is usually produced in Oaxaca.  But while tequila’s agave is usually baked in stone ovens, mezcal’s agave is buried in pits with hot rocks and smoked.  And thus, the flavor is similar to tequila, but totally different.  

Traveling based on your taste buds is nothing new but surprisingly more & more people are picking destinations based on the food culture…we can’t blame them.

Cheers to margaritas & mezcal in Mexico.