Mr. Julio

The legend begins in 1942, when a young Don Julio González sees a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: to produce tequila. He didn't have much, but what he did have was a dream and the singular devotion needed to make it a reality.

Our founder:
After sharing his vision with a local entrepreneur, he was granted a loan to start his first tequila distillery, La Primavera, in the Jalisco Highlands. For the next forty years, Don Julio Gonzalez would dedicate his life to making the world’s finest tequila. Every day he would rise early to walk through the agave fields, cutting the grass around each plant to protect it. With a hoe in hand, he would extract the flavor from each piña, skillfully balancing the bitter and sweet leaves of each agave. And when it was time to harvest, he would harvest each plant one by one, choosing only the agaves at their peak of ripeness and health.

Our place:
At 2,000 meters above sea level, in the highlands of Jalisco, it all began. In this extreme climate, surrounded by rich volcanic soil, the legendary La Primavera distillery was founded and Don Julio tequila was born.

The warm days, cool nights, and rich clay soil of the Jalisco Altiplano create the perfect microclimate for growing blue agave. However, its high altitudes make growing and harvesting crops difficult and physically demanding.

Don Julio González knew it, but he stayed in the highlands and endured the extreme conditions in order to create the best tequila in the world. His devotion to his craft knew no bounds. The result? A tequila with exceptional substance and an indisputable spirit.

Our people:
Since 1947, over three generations of Jimador families have worked with Don Julio. Their devotion to the Don Julio process and methods is unmatched and their mastery of planting, cultivating and harvesting agave has been passed down through generations and dates back to Don Julio himself. Rather than harvesting entire fields of agave in one go, our Jimadors painstakingly harvest plant by plant, expertly assessing the age and health of each agave. To increase the quality of their harvest, they hand-select and evenly hand-cut the agave pencas (leaves) from the piña. Without the devotion and care of our legendary Jimadors, the exceptional quality of our tequila would not be possible.