Don Julio 1942
The tall bottle you recognize from every cocktail bar. Aged for at least two and a half years in oak, with caramel, chocolate and vanilla enveloping roasted agave. A tequila to enjoy neat, and this is the best way to serve it.
A tribute to the year it began
Don Julio 1942 is named after the year in which Julio González started his distillery and was launched in 2002 as the house's luxury expression. The agaves grow for seven to ten years in the highlands of Jalisco before being selected by hand. The tequila then ages for at least two and a half years in oak barrels.
That long aging period sets it apart from the Añejo, which spends eighteen months in wood. The 1942 is sweeter, smoother and rounder: the wood imparts caramel, chocolate and vanilla, while the agave tastes roasted rather than fresh. The bottle is distinctive too: while the other Don Julio bottles are short and broad, this one is tall and slender.
In brief
Caramel and chocolate, with agave underneath
Caramel and vanilla
Sweet caramel and vanilla up front, with oak and the warm aroma of roasted agave.
Smooth and rounded
Remarkably smooth and creamy. Dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla, with agave as a sweet, roasted undertone.
Long and sweet
A long, smooth finish in which oak and chocolate slowly fade away. Hardly any alcohol heat.
Flavor profile of Don Julio 1942 neat at room temperature. The longer it sits in the glass, the more chocolate and caramel emerge.
How to get the most out of a 1942
This tequila is made to be enjoyed neat. The glass and temperature matter more than with any other Don Julio.
Neat from a tulip glass
Pour 30 ml into a tulip-shaped tasting glass and let it breathe for a few minutes. The narrow upper part holds in the caramel and vanilla. Take small sips at room temperature.
Tasting glasses →With one ice cube
If you prefer it cooler, use 40 ml over one large, clear ice cube in a heavy tumbler. The cube melts slowly and the chocolate notes hold their own.
Tumblers →A luxurious Old Fashioned
Stir 50 ml 1942 with 5 ml agave syrup and 2 dashes of chocolate bitters over ice, strain over an ice cube and express a strip of orange peel over the top.
Go to the recipe →If you do want to mix it
It would be a shame to drown it, but in a stirred cocktail with few ingredients, the 1942 remains recognizable.
1942 Old Fashioned
Tequila, agave syrup and bitters. The chocolate notes of the 1942 come through beautifully.
Boulevardier
Aged tequila, Campari and sweet vermouth in equal parts. Bitter, sweet and warm.
Margarita de luxe
A Margarita with aged tequila: rounder and warmer, with vanilla beneath the lime.
Mexican cocktails
All cocktails with tequila and mezcal in one place.The right glass for Don Julio 1942
For a tequila of this caliber, start with a tulip glass or cognac glass. A heavy tumbler for serving over ice and an Old Fashioned complete the experience.
More Don Julio flavours
Don Julio
Where it all began. On the brand page, you can read everything about Don Julio: origins, types and classic cocktails.
Go to Don Julio →
Don Julio Blanco
Bright and fresh, with lime, grapefruit and pepper. The tequila for Paloma and Margarita.
View Don Julio Blanco →
Don Julio Añejo
Eighteen months in American oak: rich, warm and complex. Neat in a tulip glass or over ice.
View Don Julio Añejo →Everything about tequila: the types, the best-known brands and the cocktails.
Questions about Don Julio 1942
Can't find your question? Read more on the Don Julio page or explore our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Don Julio →