Luxury Spirits Reach Ridiculous Heights With $400 Tequila Purisima, the World’s First Application-Only Bottle

(Photo: Tequila Purisima)

Brent Hocking has spent much of his career behind the scenes, founding not one but three celebrity-backed alcohol brands that have achieved varying levels of success. In 2009, the California-born entrepreneur launched DeLeón Tequila, eventually acquired by Sean “Diddy” Combs and spirits conglomerate Diageo in a deal likely valued in the tens of millions. Eager for another splash of superstar co-branded liquor, Hocking later joined forces with rapper Drake on Virginia Black Whiskey, and later still on Mod Sélection Champagne.

But times have changed. The year is now 2025, and, according to Hocking’s own words in a recent interview with Forbes, the celebrity liquor marketplace has been saturated to “hell.” Whether or not he knew it at the time, Hocking was among a small cadre of investors who permanently reshaped the alcohol landscape, ushering in hundreds of A-listers competing for an ever-smaller slice of the pie.

The solution? A $400, application-only tequila that elevates luxury spirits to ludicrously unobtainable heights.

Hocking’s latest stab at the industry is dubbed Purisima, and lord knows there’s a whole lot to say about it. Produced at the Agroindustrias Casa Ramirez distillery in Guanajuato, Mexico, the tequila is reportedly “smooth with three o’s” and costs nearly $1,200 if you opt for a three-pack. Its bottle is equally opulent, embossed with delicate ripples that pay homage to the flow of water and a faux-python box that references the Mexican flag.

Hocking describes it as a blunt response to an industry in way over its head.

“Celebrity tequila has contributed to a perception problem, that tequila is more about image than substance,” Hocking told Food & Wine. “Oversaturation isn’t just about quantity; it’s about dilution of meaning. When too many products flood the market with similar stories and generic liquid, consumers become disoriented.”

Hocking says he has full control over production. High sugar-content agaves are reportedly cooked in autoclaves for three days, combined with water sourced from a 400-meter-deep spring well and twice distilled in stainless steel pots with copper coils.

It’s an intensive process, no doubt, but nothing that necessarily leaps out on paper. Apart from the fact that Purisima is produced in Guanajuato (rather than the tequila epicenter of Jalisco), it’s fair to say that the brand could — from description alone — be confused for countless other, far-cheaper offerings on the market.

Instead, the appeal lies in exclusivity. The brand’s website, simply titled forthosewhoknowbetter.com, greets guests with a smooth guitar and trumpet tune that sounds like something James Bond would encounter at a mysterious Mediterranean hideaway. In place of a product description, price tag or even the shortest of blurbs, the website offers users a single option: “Request Consideration.” The vibe conjures to mind the kind of ultra-chic, ultra-simplistic branding encountered at a Louis Vuitton outlet store. At this point, we were half expecting the application to ask for seven-figure income verification and a Raya subscription.

Purisima has not disclosed how many of its bottles will be doled out to the public. For the time being, it appears not many. The brand has only a single user review on Tequila Matchmaker, surrounded by radio silence from press outlets and reviewers that would typically have been sent samples ahead of launch.

Whether or not Hocking’s bold gamble will find an audience is yet to be seen.

For years, premiumization was the buzzword to beat within the spirits industry. Tequila mainstays like Don Julio and Clase Azul perfected the messaging to a tee, selling pricy bottles that went hand in hand with red carpet appearances and late-night splurges at the club. Much like celebrity spirits, however, the tune has since changed. Inflation, trade tensions and declining consumption are believed to be pushing the needle toward cheaper options. This is especially true in the agave spirits cateogry, where high-quality, additive-free options are now widely available for well under $60.

Keep a close eye on the headlines in weeks and months to come to see if Purisima can live up to its triple-digit aspirations. If it does, the tequila industry may very well have its first Apple Store in a bottle. If it doesn’t… time for a shot of Jose Cuervo.