Why Brands Like La Pulga Tequila Keep Pushing the Legal Limits of the Industry

(Photo: La Pulga)

Fort Worth’s La Pulga Spirits is the latest tequila brand cranking its recipe all the way up to 110 proof — the legal maximum permitted in the United States. Far from a gimmick, La Pulga finds itself at the forefront of a movement redefining agave spirits in the eyes (and mouths) of American consumers.

The brand’s two new limited-edition expressions, Blanco 110 and Reposado 110, were engineered with an unconventional behind-the-scenes process. According to La Pulga, each tequila was distilled in small batches to 60% ABV (120 proof) before being reduced to legal strength via aeration, a method that utilizes little to no water. In essence, this means that the flavor of agave should shine through loud and clear with only marginal dilution.

The expressions are both additive free and clock in at $64.99 and $74.99 for the Blanco and Reposado, respectively.

“La Pulga Blanco 110 and La Pulga Reposado 110 are innovative high-proof tequilas that truly bring out the deep character and complexity of our high-quality agave,” La Pulga Spirits Vice President of Marketing Dave Wiley remarked in a news release. “Very few high-proof tequilas are released at 55% abv, but that’s a testament to the quality of our core liquid.”‘

We wrote a piece on the high-proof trend a few months back, noting that these expressions have slowly expanded beyond the usual suspects (Fortaleza, Cazcanes, etc.) to old-guard brands like Tres Generaciones and Herradura. It’s easy to understand why. As consumers become better acquainted with tequila’s roasty, vegetal flavor, distillers can get comfortable with amping up the proof and challenging the palate. 40% ABV be damned; it’s time to explore every lick of ethanol that tequila has to offer.

In other ways, it feels like a natural progression of the additive-free movement, which has been keen to champion transparency over gimmicks. Lest we forget that the defining tequila trend of the late 2010s was the cristalino — charcoal-filtered spirits that left just about every agave nerd with a bad taste in their mouth.

That isn’t to say we haven’t seen other trends arise in the meantime. A handful of distillers have tried their hands at red wine-finished rosas or “rosados,” many of which have turned out pretty excellently. We’re also seeing a sharp uptick in spicy pepper-infused tequilas and bespoke cask finishes recruiting the likes of coffee and liqueur barrels.

But high-proof already appears to have staying power. It’s a fun way for distillers to flex bolder flavors of agave, black pepper and greenery, all while dialing up the stakes to the next logical level. It’s literally tequila, plus more tequila. What’s not to like?

La Pulga Spirits was founded in 2020 by Fort Worth natives Sarah Castillo, Stephen Slaughter and Andrew De La Torre — a restauranteur, former bar owner and real estate developer, respectively. The brand name, Spanish for “flea market,” is an homage to the historic 12-acre Pequeño Mexico market on the Northside of Fort Worth, where local vendors have been selling eats and drinks since the 1970s. In addition to its flagship tequila lineup, La Pulga offers a Mezcal Artesanal and Sotol Silver.

If you’re interested in checking out any of the above, find the La Pulga website here.