09 May A Celebration of Family, Tradition and Mexican Culture with Don Julio

It was a classic LA day, not hot but not cool. I drove across the city to Silverlake to Tacos Delta, a family-owned taco stand that was opened in 1981. But on this particular night, the nondescript taco stand was converted into a vibrant, eye-catching space for a Tequila Don Julio dinner. Traveling across the country, Tequila Don Julio is bringing a taste of the colorful culture to the US as part of a series of events hosted by Tequila Don Julio and The Infatuation. The dinner was a celebration of Mexican culture as part of their new campaign, For Those Who Know. Bringing a taste of Mexico’s colorful culture to the US, Tequila Don Julio selected Tacos Delta to celebrate the restaurant’s story and how it became a meeting point where ‘those who know’ have been coming for nearly three decades to enjoy authentic Mexican eats. Mexican artist Claudio Limon traveled to LA to take over the walls of Sunset Boulevard’s Tacos Delta. The nondescript taco stand was converted to a colorful, bold space with a custom mural depicting the restaurant’s history. Each of the suns depicts a member of the Tacos Delta family. The parking lot was filled with long tables. And we were welcomed with small cocktail and chicken taquitos. We were joined by Enrique de Colsa, Master Distiller at Tequila Don Julio for 20 years. We sat down for a family-style dinner featuring signature craft cocktails by Mexico City-based mixologist Mica Rousseau. Each course of authentic signature dishes from the restaurant’s menu was paired with Tequila Don Julio neat and in a cocktail. We began with Fresh fish tacos with lime, cilantro and onion. NEAT: Tequila Don Julio Blanco – On the nose, the tequila has lemon, lime and grapefruit notes. On the palate, it is fresh with herbal and pepper notes. COCKTAIL: El Cantarito (Tequila Don Julio Blanco, Prosecco, black lemon bitters, lemongrass syrup, lemon and grapes, frozen grape for garnish) Chile Rellenos  NEAT: Tequila Don Julio Reposado – Aged for eight months in American white-oak barrels, the tequila is a golden color. On the nose, the tequila has citrus and stone fruit notes as well as spice notes. On the palate, it is smooth and a little sweeter with hints of cinnamon and vanilla. COCKTAIL: La Fresa (Tequila Don Julio Reposado, White Zinfandel, strawberry puree, lemon, dehydrated strawberries for garnish) NEAT: Tequila Don Julio 70 Añejo Claro – Aged for 18 months in American white-oak barrels and then charcoal filtered, this is the first añejo claro in the world. The aging of the tequila results in a reduction in the alcohol’s power resulting in a smooth tequila with notes of vanilla, honey and toasted oak. On the palate, the tequila makes the mouth water and a sweet note travels down the center of the palate. COCKTAIL: El Bandido (Tequila Don Julio 70, black lemon bitters, Amargo Angostura, lime juice, orange flower water, egg white, lemongrass syrup and dehydrated lemon for garnish) NEAT: Tequila Don Julio 1942 – Produced in small batches, Don Julio 1942 is aged for two-and-a-half years. On the nose, caramel and chocolate notes pop out and on the palate, the tequila tastes like roasted agave, oak and vanilla. COCKTAIL: Cara-Jito (Tequila Don Julio 1942, Licor 43, chocolate bitters, espresso, natural syrup and coffee shavings for garnish) Sitting outside surrounded by the vibrant artwork by Mexican artist Claudio Limon while enjoying the food of Tacos Delta and sipping the tequilas of Don Julio and the cocktails of mixologist Mica Rousseau, Tequila Don Julio crafted the perfect setting to celebrate a community, give back to a community and share stories.