Don Julio 1942
You’ll recognize that tall bottle from every cocktail bar. It’s aged in oak for at least two and a half years and tastes of caramel, chocolate and vanilla alongside roasted agave. Don Julio 1942 is best enjoyed neat, and here’s how to serve it.
Named after the year it all began
The name comes from the year Julio González started his distillery. Don Julio 1942 was launched in 2002 as the brand’s luxury version. The agave plants grow for seven to ten years in the highlands of Jalisco and are then hand-selected. The tequila is then aged in oak barrels for at least two and a half years.
Its long aging makes it different from the Añejo, which spends eighteen months in wood. The 1942 is sweeter, smoother and rounder. The wood brings out caramel, chocolate and vanilla, while the agave tastes roasted rather than fresh. The bottle is different too. The other Don Julio bottles are short and wide; this one is tall and slender.
In brief
Caramel and chocolate, with agave underneath
Caramel and vanilla
First, sweet caramel and vanilla. Behind that, oak and the warm aroma of roasted agave.
Smooth and rounded
Very smooth and creamy. Dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla, with agave as a sweet, roasted undertone.
Long and sweet
Long and smooth. The oak and chocolate slowly fade away, and you barely notice the alcohol.
This is how Don Julio 1942 tastes neat at room temperature. If you leave it in the glass longer, the chocolate and caramel become more pronounced.
How to get the most out of your 1942
This tequila is made to be sipped neat. The glass and temperature matter more here than with any other Don Julio.
Neat from a tulip glass
Pour 30 ml into a tulip-shaped tasting glass and let it sit for a few minutes. The narrow top keeps the caramel and vanilla aromas in the glass. Drink at room temperature, in small sips.
Tasting glasses →With one ice cube
Want it a little cooler? Pour 40 ml over one large, clear ice cube in a heavy tumbler. The cube melts slowly, so the chocolate notes hold their own.
Tumblers →A luxurious Old Fashioned
Stir 50 ml of 1942 with 5 ml of agave syrup and 2 dashes of chocolate bitters over ice. Strain over an ice cube and squeeze a strip of orange peel over the top.
Go to recipe →Still want to mix it?
It almost seems a shame to drown it out. In a stirred cocktail with just a few ingredients, you can still recognize the 1942.
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.
Luxury Margarita
A Margarita with aged tequila: rounder and warmer, with vanilla beneath the lime.
Mexican cocktails
All tequila and mezcal cocktails in one place.The right glass for Don Julio 1942
With a tequila like this, start with a tulip or cognac glass. A heavy tumbler for serving over ice and for an Old Fashioned completes the set.
Discover more Don Julio flavors
Don Julio
Where it all began. Visit the brand page to learn all about Don Julio: its origins, varieties, and classic cocktails.
Discover Don Julio →
Don Julio Blanco
Bright and fresh, with lime, grapefruit, and pepper. The tequila for a Paloma and Margarita.
Explore Don Julio Blanco →
Don Julio Añejo
Eighteen months in American oak: rich, warm, and complex. Neat in a tulip glass or over ice.
Discover Don Julio Añejo →Everything about tequila: the types, best-known brands, and cocktails.
Questions about Don Julio 1942
Can't find your question here? Read more on the Don Julio page or check out our cocktail recipes.
Everything about Don Julio →What percentage alcohol is in Don Julio 1942?
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What's the difference between Don Julio 1942 and Don Julio Añejo?
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Buy Don Julio
Want the bottle at home right away? Order Don Julio online from Gall & Gall.
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