The tequila industry has been increasing its sphere of dominance in recent years, with the growth of tequila’s premium sector largely driving the overall expansion of the spirit. In the United States alone, consumption of the agave-based spirit rose 30 percent between 2015 and 2020, with consumption of premium-and-above products up by over 60 percent. As more and more consumers explore premium and ultra-premium tequila options, one bottle that is certain to catch their eye is Don Julio 1942.
Known colloquially simply as 1942, the tequila is famous for more than its smooth qualities, delicious flavor, and shiny price tag. It’s perhaps most recognizable for its unique bottle shape — extremely thin and standing at 17.5 inches tall. At such a height, it towers over other bottles lining the shelves of your favorite bar, and is a far cry from other Don Julio bottles that are short and squat. When considering the fact that Don Julio himself originally chose to bottle his spirits in shorter containers that could easily be passed around the table, one has to wonder, why is the Don Julio 1942 bottle shaped the way it is?
While producing tequila in Jalisco, Mexico, Don Julio gave full respect to the agave plants, allowing each the proper room to grow and mature fully before harvesting. During the production process, Don Julio selected the most ripe sections of the plant before steaming each in 72-hour cycles. The result is a delicious, smooth, and thoughtfully produced tequila.
With such care taken in the growing, harvesting, and distilling processes, the Don Julio 1942 bottle serves as an homage to the agave plant, mimicking the leaves’ tall shape and gentle inward curvature. Each bottle is made from hand-blown Mexican glass, further tying the spirit to its cultural roots.
It’s also possible that the height of the Don Julio bottle is meant to be a return to tradition of sorts. For generations in Mexico, tequila was packaged in bottles similar in height to that of Don Julio 1942 before being stored under people’s kitchen tables. As the name 1942 is a reference to the year Don Julio started his tequila-making journey, the shape of the bottle could serve as a reference back to tequila’s traditional bottling method.
