Clase Azul México has long told its story through two touchpoints: the super-premium tequila inside and the handcrafted ceramic decanters that hold it. But founder Arturo Lomelí always envisioned something larger. “Clase Azul was never meant to live solely within a decanter,” he has said — and with the opening of Casa de los Leones in Mexico City’s Polanco neighborhood, that vision has found an expanded, and permanent home.
Behind the gates of a restored historic mansion, Casa de los Leones is neither hotel nor museum but something more expansive: a living space where art, architecture, hospitality, and the mundo de agave come together under one roof.
Lomelí founded the brand in 1997 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, using hand-painted decanters to set his product apart. Those bottles are still made by artisans in the small town of Santa María Canchesda, using techniques rooted in the Mazahua community — each one taking about two weeks to complete. Casa de los Leones honors that same heritage through art and experience.
“[Casa de los Leones] is both an homage to Mexico and a platform for contemporary Mexican designers and creatives,” said Olivia Kragen, vice president of commercial strategy. “We wanted to build a space where culture, design, hospitality, and tequila come together in a way that feels genuinely Mexican.”
The restoration and interior concept were led by C Cúbica Arquitectos, the Mexico City-based firm co-founded by Andrea Cesarman, Emilio Cabrero, and Marco Coello, in collaboration with México Territorio Creativo. Their mandate was clear: honor the mansion’s original character while layering it with a new generation of Mexican design. The result is a residence that feels both rooted and alive.
Guests move through the house like a story, traveling room to room across multiple floors and into the grounds. One floor features pieces from Clase Azul’s collector community, as well as a library, library terrace, and private tasting room.
“We invited several designers to create original works specifically for the home. Designers such as Beatriz Morales, Thierry Jeannot, and Raúl de la Cerda contributed remarkable pieces that enriched the environment,” said Sofia Garcia, creative director at Clase Azul México. Morales’s contribution to the Lounge, a monumental woven work, the largest she has ever created, is made entirely from agave fiber, what Garcia describes as “a material deeply connected to our spirits and transformed here into a contemporary artistic expression.” Jeannot designed chandeliers for the Lounge and Cocktail Bar. De la Cerda’s work spans multiple rooms, from coffee tables to bars and seating, some developed in collaboration with Nouvelle. A custom sofa built with Josefina Ruiz and C Cúbica mirrors the pattern of a Clase Azul bottle; guests are invited to remove their shoes before stepping into the area.
The inaugural featured artist is Oaxacan painter Amador Montes, whose work also marks the first release from Encuentros, Clase Azul’s new creative platform. Montes collaborated with the brand on its first-ever limited-edition mezcal decanter — a significant milestone for a house built on tequila. Master Distiller Viridiana Tinoco spent six months finding the right agave for the expression, ultimately selecting the revered tepeztate agave which takes 15-30 years to mature. “In this way, the decanter becomes more than a vessel for the spirit, it carries a narrative shaped by both the artist and Clase Azul México who bring it to life,” said Garcia.
The heart of what Casa de los Leones offers is a signature guided experience called Taste of Time. Available to small groups by appointment, it takes guests through five Clase Azul expressions, each paired with a bite prepared by the house chef and will be open for bookings beginning April 7. The tasting, priced at $250 per person, is designed as a meditation on time itself: the years an agave spends in the ground, the months a decanter takes to paint, the patience embedded in every bottle. It concludes in the Cocktail Bar with sobremesa — the unhurried, post-meal conversation that is its own Mexican tradition.
Casa de los Leones is the first of what will become a broader network of destinations. A second location is planned for Guadalajara in the spring, expected to be equally expansive.
“For years, Clase Azul México has told the story of Mexican craftsmanship through our ceramic decanters, our liquid, and the artisans who bring each piece to life,” said Kragen. “Casa de los Leones represents a natural evolution of that vision — and of our long-term commitment to hospitality.”
Casa de los Leones is open by appointment only at Luis G. Urbina 104, Polanco, Mexico City.
