the history of don julio tequila goes
back an impressive 80 years but did you
know in 2015 the brand was sold to a
huge beverage company keep watching to
find out how don julio gonzalez created
a top-selling tequila
the life of don julio gonzalez was
filled with lots of twists and turns
born in 1925 gonzales started in the
tequila biz when he was only 10 years
old he was hired to work at his uncle's
tequila distillery in jalisco mexico
according to thrillist ambitious to say
the least he grabbed hold of his
opportunity and began soaking in all the
knowledge about the production of
tequila that he possibly could tragedy
struck when he was 15 and faced with the
daunting challenge of becoming his
family's soul breadwinner when his
father died with a mother and seven
siblings to look after he struggled to
make ends meet earning a pittance of
only nine pesos a week as a farmhand in
order to up his earnings the teenage
gonzalez then took a grueling job
distributing tequila all across mexico
on horseback according to the master of
malt website armed with two 25-liter
barrels of the good stuff he was then
making nearly 10 pesos a day far
outstripping his previous earnings
at just 17 years old julio gonzalez
brazenly approached the wealthiest man
in jalisco and shared with him his
desire to open up a distillery of his
own the man loaned him 20 000 pesos and
so gonzales began his journey to
becoming tequila royalty he sprung into
action and not long after his tequila
facility la primavera opened with the
iconic don julio brand still waiting
farther ahead in his journey gonzalez
actually began by producing his first
brand of tequila known as trace magaze
the road to success was a long and
sometimes harrowing one in the beginning
gonzalez was a one-man operation
handling everything from distilling to
distribution that hard work would soon
pay off and la primavera is still in
operation to this day the multinational
beverage company diageo would eventually
acquire the brand in 2015.
have you ever had booze that feels like
the gates of the fiery underworld have
opened up to unleash themselves on your
throat well that's what practically all
tequila tastes like before don julio
gonzalez came along the issue people
were and sometimes still are far more
concerned about getting a nice buzz
going than the actual quality of their
tequila that all changed because of
gonzales and his unprecedented approach
to the agricultural process gonzales
studied the varying climates of his
region and settled on the mineral-rich
soils in an area of jalisco known as the
highlands he determined that wider
spacing of the agape plants would be a
key factor in allowing his crop to grow
to its full potential including
developing a rich flavor profile he also
shocked others by allowing his plants to
age for almost 10 years a technique that
was all but completely unheard of at the
time while all this meant that
production time was slower the end
result was evidently worth it each plant
is still harvested by hand to this day
don julio is awarded for its commitment
to sustainability including being
recognized as the first agape plantation
to receive a perfect score as awarded by
the farm sustainability assessment
according to swagger gonzales set out on
his journey to create a tequila that was
smooth refined and flavorful he
envisioned it to be something people
could casually sip on like a quality
glass of whiskey and far from the harsh
taste of many other tequilas of the time
because of this commitment to quality he
spent decades perfecting his craft many
would be surprised to learn that during
this time the only sippers that could
share in the fruits of his labor were
his friends as his product was not
available for widespread distribution
just yet word was spreading though and
it was only inevitable that his tequila
would eventually catch some serious
interest and reach the big time the
sheer demand for gonzales tequila and
the region around guadalajara is what
led him to formally create a business
with the intention of his tequila
landing on the tongues of the masses
on three one two three
along with master distillery marco
sedano the man behind tequila trumba
gonzalez celebrated his 60th birthday by
officially moving forward with his brand
don julio tequila according to diagio
bar academy launched in 1987 it is now
considered the first ever luxury tequila
brand
never one to do things quietly master of
malt reports that gonzales also
revolutionized the branding and
packaging of tequila with his
increasingly popular liquor according to
vine pair tequila was previously sold in
a standard tall glass bottle that was
easy to hide beneath the table given
that it blocked the view of one's fellow
drinkers since so much of the brand's
success could be accredited to the many
guests at his dinner parties that sipped
on his early creations gonzalez came up
with an idea inspired by those soirees
so don julio designed a special bottle
for his reserve reposado that could be
prominently displayed on the dinner
table without blocking the view of other
guests across the table the now
signature square and short bottles are
synonymous with the brand and arguably
with the reputation of tequila itself
thanks to its smooth finish and the
meticulous care that goes into producing
the blue agave don julio is considered
the world's first luxury tequila the
distinct attention to craftsmanship and
tradition set the precedent in the
industry and others would soon follow in
their own production methods not only
did gonzales set an industry standard
but he also subsequently changed how the
public perceived the spirit the masses
no longer were okay with the previously
produced fire inducing tequila they
demanded something better gonzales was
more than happy to provide it the brand
continues to place emphasis on the most
critical part of the production which is
the health of the blue weber agave plant
that's key to the whole process while
there's no quick path to the final
result the particular process of
harvesting the agave is what leads to
the distinct taste of don julio and its
many imprints their tequila is now
considered super premium in the liquor
industry meaning the bottles retail for
2667 or more and the liquor inside has a
seriously good reputation according to
vine pair
all tequila stems from 100 blue agave
plant but there are five main types that
end up in the final bottle blanco hovind
responsado anejo and extra angel blanco
is tequila in its freshest least touch
form which leaves little to hide for a
poorly produced spirit hoven is a form
of blended blanco that's been mixed with
another tequila or even sometimes just
coloring resposado is aged a bit longer
and outcasts from only a couple of
months to a year anejo packs the biggest
flavor punch with notes of vanilla
gained as it's aged in oak for anywhere
from one to three years extra anejo has
been sitting around for even longer than
three years according to tequila reviews
don julio tequila now produces six core
varieties don julio blanco tequila don
julio responsado tequila don julio anjo
tequila don julio 70 anejo claro tequila
and on julio 1942 tequila a tribute to
its founder while these remain as the
corn production they also have don julio
real tequila one of the few extra anejo
spirits available on the market today
that's aged for up to five years and
american white oak barrels
in 2020 don julio shouted the industry's
preconceived notions of the agave spirit
by producing the world's first clear
anejo tequila according to tequila.net
during the production process the
tequila don julio 70 anejo claro is
thoroughly filtered to become a clear
spirit while still maintaining that rich
flavor many imbibers associate with a
traditional anejo created to celebrate
the 70th anniversary of don julio's
tequila making venture the clear on yeho
is the brainchild of master distiller
enrique de cosa it's created using blue
agave harvested by hand at the peak of
maturity the liquor is then distilled
twice at don julio's distillery la
primavera finally the liquor is aged for
18 months and reclaimed american white
oak barrels the flavor of which helps
contribute to the tequila smoothness
cheers
okay
[Applause]
oh
all right
feeling good
according to tequila.net the result is a
tantalizing flavor journey with notes of
fresh honey and citrus that blend
seamlessly with the subtle flavors of
vanilla and almonds
perhaps no one goes bigger in marketing
products than the tequila industry and
if managed just right big name fans can
make for a pretty big turnaround for a
brand what began in the humble
neighborhoods of mexico has turned into
a big business with a-list celebrities
downing the drink and it seems everyone
is putting their name behind a brand
like don julio nowadays everyone from p
diddy and justin timberlake to george
clooney have their own brand of tequila
but many choose to align themselves with
no less than the world's first line of
luxury tequila for instance haley and
justin bieber included a bottle of the
good stuff pretty prominently on their
wedding day where each table at the
reception was adorned with a bottle of
don julio 1942
and master of mott reports that
hollywood darling leonardo dicaprio is
even known to throw back a few like
during a visit to music festival
coachella
unlike many legends in the world of food
and drink don julio gonzalez was
fortunate enough to witness his dreams
come to fruition while he was still
alive but in 2012 the tequila innovator
died of natural causes at the age of 87.
following his death british beverage
company diageo acquired the brand
intending to build upon the exceedingly
well-regarded foundation that gonzales
had established as part of the deal
diageo also acquired full rights for use
of the la primavera distillery the sole
agave supplier to the don julio brand
the company didn't hold back and
immediately invested 400 million dollars
in the company according to the spirits
business in addition to putting some
serious funds towards agave farming and
distilling operations they also have
contributed significantly to the brand's
marketing efforts
if you've ever been to a cocktail bar
you've likely noticed an eye-catching
liquor bottle usually reserved for the
top shelf that is likely to be don julio
1942 encapsulated in a tall and skinny
brown bottle this is according to some
no less than the nectar of the gods and
a worthy tribute to don julio and the
year that began as adventures in tequila
this small batch tequila has aged for at
least two and a half years before ever
making it into your glass according to
mom magazine at around 150 bucks for a
750 milliliter bottle don julio 1942 is
up there as far as pricing goes compare
that to a limited edition patron that
will set you back 7 500 according to
forbes but while don julio 1942 may
still seem like it costs a pretty penny
many will gladly tell you that it is
absolutely worth the price tag as the
gold medal winner at the 2020 san
francisco world spirits competition per
liquor.com this is the ideal sipping
tequila it's lighter and sweeter than
the typical anejo style while still
allowing the depth of flavor from the
oak to shine through simply put don
julio 1942 is a masterpiece
don julio offers a wide range of
tequilas including those that are
suitable for the novice drinker and
others better suited for the true
connoisseur of this distilled spirit
ultimately this means that tequila is
surprisingly versatile bands of bourbon
will appreciate sipping on the age
flavor profile of aniejos while the less
ambitious can enjoy the reposado and a
handcrafted margarita with fresh lime
juice if you want to do as they did in
early 20th century mexico a sangrita is
surely the drink of choice a traditional
sangrita is a pellet cleanser that is
sipped along with the blanco tequila
shot meaning little blood in spanish the
sangrita is served in a shot glass and
combines leftover juices from behind the
bar such as lime and orange the citrus
proves a wonderful accompaniment for the
smoothness of the blanco you might also
see this adapted in america with a side
of tomato juice which brings out the
peppery element of a complex tequila and
rather awesomely if you mix the two it's
often known as the vampiro check out one
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