The Tequila Sun Rises

The launch of the famed Mexican tequila brand, Don Julio, in India is all set to raise the bar.

- DHANANJAI SUBRAMANIAM

Amid the agave spirits renaissance, a phenomenon sweeping the globe, India welcomed the debut of a true global titan in the NCR with Don Julio Tequila. Bearing the name of its illustrious founder, Don Julio Gonzalez-Frausto Estrada, who was a pioneer, with a backstory as rich as the spirit he crafted.

The story unfolds in the Mexican town of Atotonilco, Jalisco, where a young Julio Gonzalez presented the simple townsfolk with an audacious dream to establish his own distillery. This naturally met with some skepticism at the time, but failed to deter Julio, who confidently asserted that he would secure the necessary funds. Having been the sole provider for his household since his teenage years, Julio had so far honed his tequila-making skills at his uncle Jose’s distillery. He went on to establish the “La Primavera” distillery in 1942, and the rest as they say reshaped the tequila landscape. The distillery produced some of the finest tequilas under the moniker of ‘Tres Magueys’, eventually transitioning to the revered ‘Don Julio’ label.

The Luxe Factor

Agave spirits are notorious for their luxury and expense, because of their extensive production process, namely the ripening period of agave plants, that ranges from seven to up to 25 years in certain varieties. Just the fact that a Tequilero (maker of tequila) spends years nurturing the plant, goes to show that they don’t see a penny in their till until the turn of the decade when it finally blossoms into a bottled spirit.