For Friends, for Family, Por Amor: A Night of Don Julio Magic
Photos provided by EJ Delfin,
In the heart of Los Angeles, beneath a tapestry of stars and city lights, Don Julio's California Ambassador Eliott Montero and National Ambassador Manny De Avila hosted a night that felt less like an event and more like a get-together with friends. The room was alive with the presence of LA’s top culinary and cocktail minds, gathering to celebrate creativity and connection.
The Alchemy of Raul Pool's Cocktails
Cocktail alchemist Raul Pool opened the evening with the DJ Spritz, a crisp, sparkling welcome to the night. Don Julio Blanco mixed with blood orange aperitivo and the bright effervescence of cava, with a whisper of orange oil. It was light and joyful, a perfect prelude to the night ahead.
Dinner by Wolvesmouth: Food as Art
Wolvesmouth brought their signature philosophy to the table, creating dishes that blurred the line between food and art. Each course was a carefully constructed symphony of flavors and textures, grounded in thought and driven by intuition.
The first course set the tone with the Thyme Cranberry Soda, a refreshing cocktail built on Don Julio Rosado, paired with a decadent ribeye cap. The ribeye, served atop a silky pommes purée and adorned with béarnaise, tarragon oil, and spinach, offered a symphony of richness. The cocktail’s herbal notes and cranberry’s tart sweetness provided a bright counterbalance, weaving a dialogue of depth and freshness between glass and plate.
For those seeking indulgence, the Coconut Siesta accompanied the gnudi with effortless grace. The gnudi, luxurious in brown butter and crowned with earthy mushrooms and a subtle hint of cocoa coffee, invited pure pleasure. The Coconut Siesta, made with Don Julio Blanco, brought creamy coconut into play, softened by grapefruit’s brightness and lime’s tang, harmonizing beautifully with the dish’s deep flavors. Each bite and sip spoke of complexity and comfort.
The halibut course brought refinement to the evening. Charred zucchini, shiro dashi crème, hazelnuts, and a ricotta green goddess sauce provided layers of subtle umami and texture. Paired with the Black Pepper Cucumber Martini, featuring Don Julio Alma Miel, the cocktail’s crisp clarity, peppery undertones, and refreshing cucumber essence elevated the halibut’s delicate nature, crafting a pairing that felt like poetry in motion.
Next came the albacore, infused with togarashi aguachile, shiso, and persimmon, delivering a fiery yet fresh experience. Crispy rice added a textural contrast, while the Persimmon Sour, with Don Julio 70 Cristalino at its core, brought a crisp, clean balance to the dish. The cocktail’s smooth complexity played off the spice and sweetness, highlighting every nuance with finesse.
The pork belly course didn’t shy away from boldness. Paired with the Yuzu Passion Margarita, crafted with Don Julio Reposado, passionfruit, and Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro, this dish took risks and soared. The pork belly’s richness, enhanced by a sweet yuzu labneh and a savory biscuit, found its match in the vibrant yet grounded cocktail. The interplay of citrus, passionfruit, and agave created a synergy of surprising contrasts that lingered on the palate.
The Sweetest Farewell
Dessert was a celebration of complexity and nostalgia. A pear crepe with vanilla bavarois and burnt meringue delighted the senses, paired with the Blueberry Espresso Tini. Featuring Don Julio Añejo, cold brew, toasted pecan bitters, and a hint of blueberry, the cocktail offered a layered, sophisticated companion to the sweet farewell.
The night concluded with a buttermilk panna cotta, accented by mandarin, and a final toast with Don Julio 1942. This elegant nod to the tequila’s legacy was both celebratory and reverent, a perfect way to close a memorable evening.
A Toast to Amor
This night wasn’t just about showcasing the exceptional versatility of Don Julio tequilas; it was about the ethos that binds people together. For friends, for family, por amor—these weren’t just words. They were woven into every sip, every bite, and every shared moment this evening.
In a city where the extraordinary often becomes mundane, this evening stood apart. It wasn’t trying to dazzle for its own sake. It was real. It was alive. And in the quiet moments after the last glass was raised, it was clear: nights like these don’t fade—they linger, a little like the warmth of good tequila, long after the last drop.
ABOUT
Don Julio Blanco
Using the finest blue agave plant and a time honored distillation process, Don Julio Blanco Tequila is tequila in its truest form. Don Julio Blanco Tequila is the base from which all of our other variants are derived. Commonly referred to as “silver” tequila, its crisp agave flavor and hints of citrus make it an essential component to a variety of innovative drinks including margaritas. It can also be enjoyed neat or on the rocks.
Don Julio Reposado
Aged for eight months in American white-oak barrels, Don Julio Reposado Tequila is golden amber in color, and offers a rich, smooth finish—the very essence of the perfect barrel-aged tequila. With a mellow, elegant flavor and inviting aroma, Don Julio Reposado Tequila is best savored as part of a refreshing tasting cocktail or chilled on the rocks.
Don Julio Rosado
Don Julio Rosado is a reposado tequila finished in Ruby Port wine casks from the enchanting Douro wine region of Northern Portugal. The result is a deliciously unique reposado tequila with a delicate pink hue and sweet notes of dried red fruit & caramel. Smooth unlike any other. Don Julio Rosado is best enjoyed on the rocks. For a lighter, longer drink, add a splash of club soda and lemon garnish. It is made for daytime moments best spent outdoors with friends.
Don Julio 70 Cristalino
Don Julio 70 Cristalino marks the world’s first cristalino añejo tequila, pioneered by our founder Don Julio González’s 70th anniversary of tequila making. This truly unique product is a celebration of our late founder’s quest to revolutionize the tequila category in making Mexico’s first luxury craft tequila. Don Julio 70 Crystal Añejo embodies the rich complexity of a traditional Añejo in a liquid that is twice distilled and aged to perfection for 18 months in American white oak barrels, then carefully charcoal filtered to restore the crisp agave flavor found in Blanco Tequila.
Don Julio 1942
Celebrated in exclusive cocktail bars, restaurants and nightclubs, the iconic Don Julio 1942 Tequila is the choice of connoisseurs around the globe. Produced in small batches and aged for a minimum of two and a half years, Don Julio 1942 Tequila is handcrafted in tribute to the year that Don Julio González began his tequila-making journey.