Food & Spirits: Bob Pittman-owned tequila label, Casa Dragones, set a new benchmark for premium tequila producers earlier this winter by winning the Grand Prix Stratégies du Luxe, a product/packaging design award typically associated with the likes of Hermès, Guerlain and Louis Vuitton.
This marked the first occasion that a Mexican brand has come away with the award.
It clearly underscores Casa Dragones’ intention to perform as a luxury brand, not merely as a spirit or a niche product.
“It was very exciting to compete against renowned international luxury brands, like Hermes and Chanel,” said CEO Bertha Gonzalez. “With Casa Dragones, we have pushed the boundaries of what other tequila brands have done before. And we understood that the French sense of luxury has really defined the luxury market, so for us, it made all the sense in the world to enter a French luxury design contest.”
The winning design is inspired by a traditional apothecary bottle, made of lead-free crystal and hand-engraved. Signature design elements include a narrow neck (designed for small, careful pours), individually crafted crystal decanter top, agave plant homage engraved in traditional Mexican Pepita on the bottom of each bottle, and labels signed and numbered by hand.
“Every part of our process relies on handcrafting and hand-finishing. For us, it’s truly one bottle at a time. The apothecary bottle design pays homage to this philosophy,” says Gonzalez.
She says the design/packaging win actually emphasizes the brand’s commitment to substance over style. It follows on the heels of recent highest-in-class ratings Casa Dragones scored on a closed panel with the Academia de Catadores de Tequila for taste, body, aroma, color and aftertaste.
“Our main goal is for people to taste Casa Dragones, because our taste is what makes us so unique. We are very proud of our design, but mostly, we are very proud of the recognition we’ve received for the overall quality of our product.”
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