Don Julio
The tequila in the short, wide bottle from the highlands of Jalisco. Everything about its flavor, the difference between Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and 1942, how to drink it, and the right glass to serve it in.
The tequila of Don Julio González
Don Julio is named after Julio González, who started his own distillery in 1942 at the age of seventeen in Atotonilco el Alto, in the highlands of Jalisco. He let the agave plants 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 to look at one another.
The tequila is made from agave plants that grow for around seven to ten years in the red volcanic soil of the highlands. Blanco is fresh and peppery, Reposado (aged for eight months in American oak) is smooth and slightly woody, and Añejo (aged for 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 is part of Diageo.
In brief
What types of Don Julio are there?
Don Julio Blanco
Bright and fresh, with cooked agave, citrus, and a hint of pepper. The tequila for Margaritas and Palomas.
Don Julio Reposado
Aged for eight months in American oak. Smooth and slightly woody, with vanilla and dried fruit. The all-rounder.
Don Julio Añejo
Aged for eighteen months in oak. Rich, warm, and rounded, with caramel, chocolate, and candied orange.
Don Julio 1942
The luxury bottle honoring the year of its founding. Aged for at least two and a half years: sweet, smooth, and full of vanilla and caramel.
Blanco for cocktails, Reposado for anything, Añejo and 1942 for sipping neat.
Smooth, fresh, and full of cooked agave
Agave & citrus
Sweet cooked agave, lime zest, and a hint of vanilla and spice. More caramel and wood in the Añejo.
Smooth and rounded
Remarkably smooth for a tequila: agave, pear, vanilla, and a hint of pepper. Very little alcohol burn.
Medium-length and clean
A fresh, slightly 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 caliber doesn't need salt and lime. Sip it neat, enjoy it on the rocks, or mix it into 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 lime.
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 recipe →Paloma
50 ml Blanco with 150 ml grapefruit soda and a squeeze of lime in an ice-filled highball glass, with a salted rim. More popular than the Margarita in Mexico.
Go to 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 enjoy an aged tequila.
Mexican cocktails
All the cocktails made with tequila and mezcal, in one place.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 Añejo on the rocks. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything else you wanted to know about Don Julio
Can’t find your question? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
To the cocktail recipes →What is the alcohol content of Don Julio?
What’s the difference between Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo?
What is Don Julio 1942?
Why is the Don Julio bottle so short?
Don Julio or Clase Azul?
What's the best way to drink Don Julio?
Buy Don Julio
Want the bottle delivered straight to your door? Order Don Julio online from Gall & Gall.
Prices as of November 3, 2026, as reported by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.
