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Tequila shots during the Oscars telecast? A now-viral moment took place during Sunday night’s Academy Awards, when host Jimmy Kimmel and right-hand man Guillermo passed out mini bottles of tequila to celebrities in the audience. But it wasn’t just any regular bottle: Guillermo handed out custom 50ml bottles of Don Julio 1942, the ultra-premium tequila that partnered with the Oscars for the ultimate star-studded shout out.
The moment happened midway through the show, as Guillermo offered up a (presumably) tequila-based cocktail to nominee Colman Domingo, before serving mini bottles of 1942 to the crowd. “I got tequila for everyone in the audience,” the Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick exclaimed. “I think we should do a toast.”
According to reports, Domingo was in on the bit ahead of time, as were the Oscar producers. Tequila Don Julio’s partner company Diageo has long been a partner of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences (AMPAS), and Don Julio was also served at the Governors Ball, the official after-party for the Oscars, in addition to getting prime placement during the show.
AWARD-WORTHY TEQUILA
Don Julio 1942 Anejo Tequila
While the 50ml bottles from the Oscars aren’t available to the general public just yet, you can purchase 750ml bottles of Don Julio 1942 online. Reserve Bar, Total Wine and Minibar Delivery all have the iconic bottle and golden tequila available for sale, with delivery straight to your door.
The popular anejo tequila is produced in small batches in Jalisco, Mexico and aged for a minimum of two and a half years. The resulting liquid is smooth and flavorful, with notes of caramel and chocolate on the nose, followed by warm oak, vanilla and roasted agave on the palette. The name, meantime, pays tribute to the year Don Julio González “began his tequila-making journey.”
The Kimmel moment wasn’t the only activation that Don Julio had during the show. The tequila brand also partnered with Best Supporting Actress winner, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who posted an Instagram story that quipped, “Snuck my Don Julio Tequila in and now they’re giving them out to everyone.”
While the in-show activations were a first for the brand, this is the seventh consecutive year that Tequila Don Julio has partnered with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Ball.
In addition to creating the mini bottles of 1942, the brand worked with mixologist Charles Joly and Mexico’s 2023 World Class Bartender of the Year Israel Barón to create four new cocktails for the event: It’s Showtime featuring Tequila Don Julio Blanco; Round of Applause made with Tequila Don Julio Alma Miel; Written in the Stars with Tequila Don Julio Rosado; and 1942 Encore spotlighting Tequila Don Julio 1942.
Find all the Don Julio tequila bottles available to buy online here.