Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/343109
july 2014 / the tasting panel / 93 "Everything from 1996 to 2000 was a chain of failures and I was totally disappointed," recounts Lomeli. "But then I made two big changes: I got my Master's degree in marketing and I became a certified Master Distiller of tequila. I wanted to create something that I like and enjoy as well as understand how to get it out there." Successes started replacing failures, and Lomeli's premium craft tequila became Tequila Clase Azul. Handcrafted from 100 percent organic blue Weber agave, Clase Azul is made in Jesús Maria- Ayottián in Arandas, Jaliso at Productos Finos de Agave—NOM 1416. Matured for at least nine years, the agaves are then slow-cooked for three days to ensure that only the most delicious and exotic flavors are extracted from the hearts. After a slow fermenta- tion using a proprietary strain of yeast, the liquid moves to the hands-on distillation that makes Clase Azul so unique. Clase Azul Plata, the brand's blanco expression, is filtered until clear and then bottled without being aged. Eight months in used American oak barrels adds a burnished copper color, a caramel palate and a slightly spicy and smoky finish to Clase Azul Reposado. Clase Azul Ultra is an extra añejo aged for five years in used sherry wood casks from Spain. Made in batches of only 100 bottles, the Ultra is a wonderful example of the time and patience required from artisanal spirits. One further product, La Pinta Pomegranate Infused Tequila—the drink that Lomeli first conceived and mixed up in his mother's kitchen—is the perfect blend of Clase Azul blanco tequila and refreshing pomegranate flavors. No stranger to the use of fresh ingredients, Lomeli is certainly a fan of today's "farm-to-glass" focus in mixology. "When I started mixing La Pinta in my mother's kitchen, the pomegranate farmers were only a few hours away, and using the freshest juice possible was really important," he recalls. "We realized that to survive in the market, we have to be different, to have a competitive value," says Lomeli. "So we decided to create a beautiful bottle that could be used after the tequila is gone." Each bottle is handcrafted and painted, meaning that no two are exactly alike, and each expression has its own design to show off the personality of the tequila inside. "The biggest asset that we have as a company is that we learn," Lomeli explains. "We learn from our mistakes and failures, and we carry on. We were told that what we wanted to do was impossible and nearly everybody told us no, but we have made necessary adjustments and have carried on. Our goal is not measured in money or volume. We truly live by our mission statement—sharing happiness and capti- vating the world through the magic of tequila." Clase Azul Brings Fresh Flavors to the Forefront At Black Market Liquor Bar in Studio City, CA, Bar Manager Jennifer Oakley is ready to play: "Clase Azul is such a great tequila for building so many different kinds of cocktails," says Oakley as she experiments with a variety of expressions and flavors. She dabbled with Clase Azul Plata, cucumber and yellow Chartreuse; played with La Pinta, jalapeños and San Pellegrino Pompelmo soda; and experimented with a Clase Azul Reposado Old Fashioned. "The great thing about this tequila, especially the Plata, is that it has such a clean, agave-forward flavor that's just perfect to build upon. It's such a lovely tequila, and I hate to mess with it too much!" As she shakes up a simple, fresh-muddled strawberry Margarita, Oakley smiles, sliding it across the bar and reminding us, "Sometimes, less is more." Jennifer Oakley is Bar Manager at Studio City, CA's Black Market Liquor Bar.