Earlier today, Diageo announced that it is swapping the 50% of Tequila Don Julio held by Jose Cuervo for its Bushmills Irish whiskey brand and US$408m. Here is a closer look at Don Julio.
- The brand is named after its founder, Julio González, who bought his first distillery, in the Los Altos region of Mexico, in 1942
- Today, the Don Julio range comprises six 100% blue Weber agave Tequilas – Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, 70 Añejo Claro, 1942 and Real. All six sell at what Diageo describes as “super-premium to prestige price points”
- The range is sold in around 40 markets, led by Mexico and the US
- In volume terms, Don Julio sold around 590,000 nine-litre cases in the 12 months to the end of June, with the Blanco and Reposado iterations accounting for over two-thirds of total volumes
- In the year to the end of June, the portfolio’s volumes and net sales in the markets where Diageo handles distribution jumped by 27%. In Mexico, volumes grew by 15% and net sales were up by 22% in the same period