DON JULIO

WHAT COULD BE BETTER than enjoying a timeless tequila? Knowing that tequila is the result of sustainable agriculture—a practice that ensures the earth’s natural resources are available for future generations.

Tequila Don Julio can claim both of these attributes. The brand is considered a classic premium spirit with a rich and distinctive taste. It’s also produced on the first agave plantation to receive the highest possible score using the Farm Sustainability Assessment, a way of determining the environmental friendliness of an agricultural business.

Produced at a 12,000-plus-acre farm in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, Tequila Don Julio uses high-caliber, fully matured and ripened blue agave. A team of distillers oversees the handcrafted process that’s used to create a consistent taste.

To learn more about Tequila Don Julio, Cigar & Spirits Magazine spoke to Christina Choi, senior vice president of tequila for Diageo North America, producers of the brand.

Cigar & Spirits Magazine: How rewarding is it that Don Julio is recognized as an iconic brand?
Christina Choi: Very much. Don Julio González followed his spirit more than 80 years ago, and that led him to spend decades perfecting his craft and creating one of Mexico’s most loved tequilas. Don Julio is now one of the world’s highest quality tequilas, and it’s still made using the innovative methods and processes that he implemented when he first embarked on his tequila-making journey. The commitment to those agricultural principles–always prioritizing the quality of our liquid and what our consumers are looking for–the brand has remained consistent in developing luxury expressions.

How do you spread the word about Don Julio’s efforts and remain an iconic, world-class brand?
We’ve worked on building relationships with celebrities, influencers, trade and consumers and consistently showing up at cultural occasions and events. Connecting with A-list celebrities at the Academy Awards, involvement with the Neon Carnival during festival season, partnering with key cultural tastemakers like OJAS on exclusive collab drops and ushering in the next generation of Hispanic entrepreneurs with a grant program helps the brand’s profile remain high.

Cigar & Spirits Magazine: How rewarding is it that Don Julio is recognized as an iconic brand?

Christina Choi: Very much. Don Julio González followed his spirit more than 80 years ago, and that led him to spend decades perfecting his craft and creating one of Mexico’s most loved tequilas. Don Julio is now one of the world’s highest quality tequilas, and it’s still made using the innovative methods and processes that he implemented when he first embarked on his tequila-making journey. The commitment to those agricultural principles–always prioritizing the quality of our liquid and what our consumers are looking for–the brand has remained consistent in developing luxury expressions.

How do you spread the word about Don Julio’s efforts and remain an iconic, world-class brand?

We’ve worked on building relationships with celebrities, influencers, trade and consumers and consistently showing up at cultural occasions and events. Connecting with A-list celebrities at the Academy Awards, involvement with the Neon Carnival during festival season, partnering with key cultural tastemakers like OJAS on exclusive collab drops and ushering in the next generation of Hispanic entrepreneurs with a grant program helps the brand’s profile remain high.

What are the standards that inform the growth of the brand today?
We use Nielsen/NABCA data to analyze the brand’s sales performance and ranking within the industry, which reported that Tequila Don Julio net sales grew 20 percent. The brand was named the best-selling and top trending tequila in the 2023 Drinks International Brand Report. Tequila Don Julio is also ranked the #1 luxury tequila brand, and our iconic Tequila Don Julio 1942 expression is the #1 luxury spirit.

Additionally, we’re continuously driving brand equity in order to build upon the recognition we’ve secured while with our loyal brand fans.

What are the biggest sellers?
Between introducing the new Tequila Don Julio Rosado, bringing back our limited-edition marques like Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva and harnessing our liquid credentials to drive liquid with our core and luxury offerings, we continue to reach adult drinkers seeking premium quality products.

We’re also continuing to see success with the brand’s aged portfolio as consumers are becoming more involved in high quality tequilas and discovering their taste for more complex styles from a Reposado to a Cristalino. We’re proud that the brand is at the forefront of luxury innovation. Especially with Tequila Don Julio 70 Cristalino-Cristalino Añejo tequila is becoming a favorite among our consumers. We’re proud to have offerings for every type of drinker in our portfolio.

How does a new spirits enthusiast discover your tequila?
Quality and consistency remain a core focus, and when the liquid tastes as good as it does, people can’t help sharing it within their circle. This buzz has created a ripple effect over the past decade and we’re incredibly lucky that many of our influential and celebrity brand friends have shared our tequilas that motivate more people to try our brand.

We consistently show up in the culture. This brings new drinking experiences and high-quality tequila to consumers who may not have even realized that was what they were looking for. This helps us build higher-scale awareness and product affinity.

What should we be on the lookout for in 2023 and beyond?

We recently expanded our luxury portfolio by introducing Tequila Don Julio Rosado. The Reposado tequila is aged for at least four months in ruby port wine barrels from northern Portugal. It has a light fruit finish, a delicate pink hue and it’s exquisite. The tequila category is constantly evolving, and we’re excited to see where it’s headed. Tequila Don Julio looks forward to continuing the brand’s Legacy. We’re really proud of where we’ve come from and where we’re heading.