On the 1st, basement level one of Center Plaza at Ebisu Garden Place in Tokyo, Japan. Opening the glass door to one shop, a hefty stone counter came into view straight ahead. Behind the stone, whose rough surface texture was left as-is, stretched an earthen wall layered in red and brown.
This is La Tierra, a boutique store that the Mexican premium tequila brand Clase Azul opened in July 2024. It is the brand's third directly operated boutique after Los Cabos, Mexico, and New York in the United States, and the first to open in Asia.
Clase Azul directly operates in two Asian markets: Japan and Korea. It has its Asia regional headquarters in Japan and a subsidiary in Korea. In other Asian countries, it does business through local distributors.
La Tierra means "earth" in Spanish. True to its name, the materials that run throughout the shop are soil and stone. The front counter uses Aji stone, a high-end granite quarried in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The wall behind the counter was crafted by a Japanese plaster artisan to resemble the Mexican soil and strata where Blue Agave grows.
"Earth" also aligns with Clase Azul's brand identity, it said. Agave, the raw material for tequila, grows in Mexican soil, and the brand's signature curved decanter is ceramic made from clay. Choosing Japan's Aji stone carries another meaning. Mexico has Día de Muertos, a traditional holiday honoring deceased family and friends. It resembles Japan's Obon. Aji stone has long been used in Japan as a premium grave stone. Placing this stone at the center of the shop is meant to link the two countries' shared culture of remembering and honoring the dead.
Michael Jang, Clase Azul's Asia chief executive officer (CEO), said, "Founder Arturo Lomeli respects Asian culture broadly, including Japan," and noted, "The founder's philosophy is that in key markets, the company should directly operate the business with a deep understanding of local culture."
◇ Limited editions rarely seen in regular stores, all in one place
On both sides of La Tierra, display cases were lined with decanters that are rarely seen in ordinary liquor shops in the country. These include the "Pink Edition" launched to raise breast cancer awareness, "Día de Muertos" produced to mark Mexico's Day of the Dead, and the "Master Artisan" collection created in collaboration with local artisans—items with high scarcity. Unlike in Korea, the shop also offers separate gift wrapping for products.
Starting on the 2nd, it also began selling The Dance of Cultures, a limited collection created for the Japanese market for the first time. The product was inspired by the image of cranes—symbols of longevity, good fortune, and peace in Japan—taking flight. Only 650 bottles will be sold in Japan. The price is 235,000 yen before tax (about 2.05 million won).
Clase Azul's decanters are regarded as elements that symbolize the brand beyond mere containers for alcohol. Each product uses different colors and patterns, and artisans complete them by painting by hand. For limited editions, the decanters themselves often embody the culture and stories of specific regions. La Tierra, too, felt less like a typical liquor store that displays and sells bottles and more like a space designed to convey these stories to consumers.
Its operating style differs from ordinary liquor retailers from the outset. You cannot just walk in off the street, browse, and buy. All visitors are accepted by reservation only. Each reservation allows entry for up to four people. First-time visitors can select two products to taste while listening to explanations from a brand specialist. One session runs up to 60 minutes, and the shop takes about five to six reservations a day.
The lineup available for tasting also changes based on a customer's visit history. For first-time visitors, the shop mainly introduces core products such as Plata and Reposado, Gold, Blanco Ahumado, Añejo, and Mezcal. Returning customers have broader options, including limited editions like Ultra, the top-tier product, as well as Día de Muertos and the Pink Edition. Private clients are given opportunities to experience a wider range of items displayed in the boutique.
Instead of selling large amounts of liquor at once, staff spend extended time with each person explaining production methods and product differences. It is closer to a showroom that conveys Clase Azul's story, which began in Mexico, than a retail store.
The most direct reason Clase Azul opened its first Asian boutique in Japan is market size. Japan is currently the largest market in Asia for Clase Azul by sales volume. Although the store is in Japan, it also views Korean consumers as La Tierra's potential customers. With many Koreans traveling to Japan, the plan is for visitors to Tokyo to experience limited products and tasting programs that are hard to find in Korea.
Jang explained that even within Asia, Japanese and Korean consumers enjoy tequila differently. In Japan, there is a strong tendency to select high-end products and savor small amounts slowly, or to choose a carefully prescribed way of drinking. In Korea, by contrast, the so-called "Bottle culture," in which people order alcohol by the bottle, is well developed. "Korean consumers tend to consume a relatively large amount at once," Jang said, adding, "There are still not many consumers who pair tequila with meals."
Taking this Korean consumption style into account, Clase Azul has been offering 375 ml bottles of Reposado to domestic restaurants since last year. The aim is to let consumers who are used to ordering by the bottle, but feel burdened about finishing a full bottle during a meal, approach tequila more lightly. "Going forward, we want to position Clase Azul in Korea as a drink well suited to enjoy with meals," Jang said. "Even in Asia, tequila is shifting from being something consumed at bars, clubs, and lounges to pairing naturally with dining."
"Because Japan is currently the largest market in terms of revenue and size, we opened the first Asian boutique here," Jang said. "Since not many Korean customers have visited this boutique yet, I hope more Korean consumers will come, experience the products firsthand, and take that experience back to Korea."