It’s finally here. The holy grail of all tequilas. The world’s first luxury spirit in its space. Not least because of how sexy and premium a bottle of Don Julio looks sitting on your bar shelf but also the endorphin-inducing smoothness with which it glides into your system—whether you want it as the base in your Paloma or independently with a block of ice to sip, savour and smile. That Don Julio hits the market right now is telling of how on the pulse its mothership brand and one of the country’s leading beverage alcohol company Diageo India is, tapping into our burgeoning love for the white spirit. A drink no longer meant for a shot glass in the hands of a college kid but poured tall and served aggressively across the best bars in the country to a culturally informed crowd. There was no better example of it than at the mega launches of the brand in Gurgaon and Mumbai this past weekend. Shweta Jain, the Chief Business Development Officer of Diageo India, tells us more.  

What took Don Julio so long to hit Indian shores? 
Shweta Jain: The portfolio strategy that Diageo has is consumer-backed. We believe that more than what we have to offer, it is about defining consumer preferences and trends. People are drinking better today and not necessarily more. Indian consumers have imbibed global habits while travelling abroad. They want to enjoy their Tanqueray and tonic for an afternoon brunch or a Don Julio Paloma; then end the evening with a delicious single malt. So, we thought that now is a great time to launch Don Julio when the consumer is not just ready but wanting to explore. Plus, there’s this whole new culture of glamour and Mexicana, and Don Julio is at the heart of it. That is why even as we’re bringing it to India; just the expectation of it has given us a huge amount of vibrancy.  

Have we finally crossed over from brown spirits to white?  
SJ: We were predominantly all about brown spirits. We revere our scotch and look at it as the ultimate. But now the whole food and beverage sector has completely transformed. Even in a common Indian household, the cooking that is done on a weekly basis is representative of various flavour profiles. So, in that sense, white spirits have always been there, but the consumer has become more experimental and exploratory. They understand that a drink is not just about getting drunk but is to be savoured and are dipping into more choices.  

How has the drinking culture evolved in India?  
SJ: As socialising evolved, exposure and knowledge also became more pronounced, where people have started becoming more curious and say okay, ‘How can I have a whiskey cocktail?’ Earlier the sentiment was that if it’s a great whiskey then why would one need to hide it behind a cocktail. But if you break it down, a cocktail is an art form of blending flavours and elevating a spirit. So, for example, we extended Johnnie Walker with an expression called Blonde that’s made for mixing. Can you imagine our fathers’ generation thinking that Johnnie Walker could be a preferred cocktail spirit? I also must thank the community of bar founders and mixologists in India. It’s wonderful to see that ecosystem coming together and consumers are now tipping their hats to them. Mumbai is going through a renaissance of sorts with F&B. Goa and Kolkata, as well. Chandigarh. Bengaluru. It’s phenomenal.   

Is single malt, and now tequila, only a rich man’s drink?  
SJ: Today when people get together, even if it’s for post work drinks, it’s not just about let’s just drink cheap, but wanting to put quality into that occasion. We learnt that with our brand Singleton where we had that pulse to understand that a younger consumer may not like the tartness or the old codes of single malt but see it as a social drink. Plus, what you are experiencing in a nice bar, you want to create it at home. And now your home bar has become a place of pride as much as your art collection, and it’s regardless of one’s age or the price point. 
 
Is the tequila trend here to stay? 
SJ: There is still a huge amount of work to be done. We have to familiarise the consumers with the nuances of what a mixto [a mix of tequila from agave plants and other sugars] is and change the memory structure they have with a tequila in the form of a shot. Shots we once had were never 100%  
agave. It will take time. But cultural influences help. It’s what’s has got Don Julio 1942 to the forefront of these conversations because now the world sees it as a celebratory sip. The role of how you build it with culture is important. It doesn’t matter if you’re drinking Don Julio or a Patrón or 1800. You must do the fundamentals right. When gin was taking Europe by storm, we knew that it was for the long haul. Today there are 90 gin brands within India. And it’s happened only in the last five years.  

How are you promoting Don Julio? 
SJ: The immersion into the Tierra de Don Julio, which is a big story that we’re going to carry all around, starting with the two launches we’ve just had. You will see the world of Don Julio travel. We are very excited about tequila bars popping up. The Paloma is an on-trend piece, and the drink has gotten into ranks on the lists of most asked for cocktail. We’re going to do activations around it where one can customise it and make it their own. We launched the Blanco and Reposado and we are still to do a big bang with the Don Julio 1942 because it plays to a very different glamour crowd. Then comes the Añejo and the Cristalinos and then, we’re launching Casamigos. In fact, when Diageo invested in George Clooney’s Casamigos, and did a billion-dollar deal, it raised a lot of eyeballs. It shaped the narrative for tequila globally. 

What’s 2024 looking like for Diageo India? 
SJ: Bigger, bolder and better. Scotch is only growing and within it the varietal play is amazing. We have one big launch which is the Blue Label Elusive Umami [with renowned Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi] and we’re getting limited edition bottles to India in early 2024. We’re pursuing the idea of flavour, which Indians are enjoying at the moment, and looking at varietals within Don Julio as well as Casamigos. I’m personally very excited about how we’re shaping the cocktail journey with gin and looking at nuanced mixes.  

Personally, what’s your go-to drink? 
SJ: I’m a whiskey lover, especially Black Label, but now I’m equally enjoying reposado. And a negroni with a reposado tastes incredible. I have a personal recipe as well, a black and orange—I use a little orange marmalade, ice, mint, muddle it, add a Black Label and top it up with a soda.  

*Don Julio Blanco and Don Julio Reposado are already available in the markets (Haryana, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Goa), while Anejo and 1942 will be available from December 18, 2023. Price of all the packs (Haryana): Don Julio Blanco INR 6500 at retail approximately. Don Julio Reposado INR 8500 at retail approximately. Price of all the packs (Maharashtra): Don Julio Blanco INR 9350 at retail approximately. Don Julio Reposado INR 10450 at retail approximately.