Don Julio
The tequila in the short, wide bottle from the Jalisco highlands. Everything about the taste, the difference between Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and 1942, how to drink it, and the glass that goes with it.
The tequila of Don Julio González
Don Julio is named after Julio González, who started his own distillery in Atotonilco el Alto in the Jalisco highlands at the age of seventeen in 1942. He let the agaves grow longer and planted them farther apart so they would become riper and sweeter, and made tequila only from 100% blue Weber agave. He reportedly designed the short, wide bottle so guests at the table could continue looking at one another.
The tequila is made from agaves that grow for around seven to ten years in the red volcanic soil of the highlands. Blanco is fresh and peppery, Reposado (eight months in American oak) is smooth and lightly woody, and Añejo (eighteen months) is rich and warm. Don Julio 1942, in the tall bottle, is the luxury expression and one of the best-known tequilas in the world. The brand belongs to Diageo.
In brief
What types of Don Julio are there?
Don Julio Blanco
Clear and fresh, with cooked agave, citrus, and a hint of pepper. The tequila for Margaritas and Palomas.
Don Julio Reposado
Rested for eight months in American oak. Smooth and lightly woody, with vanilla and dried fruit. The all-rounder.
Don Julio Añejo
Eighteen months in oak. Rich, warm, and round, with caramel, chocolate, and candied orange.
Don Julio 1942
The luxury bottle commemorating the founding year. Aged for at least two and a half years: sweet, smooth, and full of vanilla and caramel.
Blanco for cocktails, Reposado for everything, Añejo and 1942 for enjoying neat.
Smooth, fresh and full of cooked agave
Agave & citrus
Sweet cooked agave, lime zest and a hint of vanilla and spices. More caramel and oak in the Añejo.
Smooth and round
Remarkably smooth for a tequila: agave, pear, vanilla and a slight pepperiness. Little alcohol burn.
Medium-long and clean
A fresh, lightly sweet finish with a hint of black pepper and oak.
Flavor profile of Don Julio Reposado. The Blanco is fresher and pepperier, while the Añejo and 1942 are sweeter and woodier.
Three ways to drink Don Julio
A tequila of this class needs no salt and lemon. Enjoy it neat in small sips, on the rocks or in a good Margarita.
Neat, at room temperature
Pour 30 ml Reposado or Añejo into a tulip-shaped tasting glass or a small tumbler. Smell it, take small sips and let it roll over your tongue. No salt, no lemon.
Glass: tasting glass →Margarita
50 ml Don Julio Blanco, 25 ml Cointreau and 25 ml lime juice, shaken and strained into a margarita glass with a salted rim. The most famous tequila cocktail, made with a tequila worth savoring.
Go to the recipe →Paloma
50 ml Blanco with 150 ml grapefruit soda and a splash of lime in a highball glass full of ice, with a salted rim. More popular in Mexico than the Margarita.
Go to the recipe →The best cocktails with Don Julio
Margarita
Tequila, Cointreau and lime, with a salted rim. The most famous tequila cocktail.
Paloma
Tequila with grapefruit soda and lime. Fresh, bittersweet and simple.
Tequila Old Fashioned
Añejo, agave syrup and bitters over a large ice cube. The luxurious way to drink an aged tequila.
Mexican cocktails
All cocktails with tequila and mezcal in one overview.The right glass for Don Julio
A tasting glass or small liqueur glass for sipping neat, a margarita glass for the Margarita, a highball glass for the Paloma, and a heavy tumbler for the Añejo on the rocks. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Don Julio
Can't find your question here? View our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
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