Creativity, determination and a passion for craft spirits propelled Clase Azul México from a dream to a reality.
Juan Jose Sánchez, co-founder of the premium tequila company and a keynote speaker at the 2026 ASI Power Summit, successfully built the brand with discipline and a vision; Sánchez had long appreciated the art of tequila production in his native country of Mexico. In the beginning, he spent long hours both at his full-time job in corporate America as well as building the Clase Azul brand on the side, which has come to be known for its distinctive bottles.
“We knew that we needed something special at the point of sale, something that would catch the consumer’s eye,” says Sánchez. “And so that’s how we came up with the idea of the decanter. And then we knew that once they tasted the liquid, they would connect further with Mexican craftsmanship, with our culture, with our story.”
In this episode of Promo Insiders, Sánchez speaks with Michele Bell, ASI’s senior vice president of editorial, education and global alliances, about the driving forces behind Clase Azul, standing out in an already saturated marketplace and efforts to expand internationally.
Register here for the ASI Power Summit, to be held Oct. 25 to 27 at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, CA.
Podcast Chapters
1:54: From corporate America to premium tequila
3:32: How creativity and resourcefulness fueled Clase Azul’s success
5:28: The story behind the iconic Clase Azul decanter
7:04: Trends in tequila demand and global growth
