Don Julio Tequila was founded in Jalisco when founder Don Julio González began distilling tequila in 1942 at age seventeen. He named his distillery La Primavera which translates to “the Springtime”. The popularity and quality of his tequila spread and gave room for a business to grow. For González’s 60th birthday in 1985, his sons created a tequila in his name, Don Julio. This tequila went on to be the one that launched the company in 1987.
Don Julio is considered to be the world's first luxury tequila. Each agave is planted at a greater distance than usual, giving them more room to grow to full maturity before harvest. The algave is then slow-roasted for 72-hour cycles. Part of the tequila's prestige comes from the design of the bottle. Tequila bottles were usually tall and hidden beneath the table. González designed a shorter bottle so his guests could still see each other across the table, seeing his tequila as worthy of being placed on the table rather than under it. The brand has been fully owned by Diageo since 2014 following the death of Don Julio González in 2012.
