La Pulga
La Pulga, Cowtown’s first established tequila brand, just unveiled what the company calls its “finest spirit yet” – an additive-free Añejo. This 100% pure agave spirit was distilled and bottled after a nearly two-year flavor-infused stint inside a stash of ex-bourbon barrels tucked away in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.
This 80-proof Añejo boasts a rich amber color, roasted agave, vanilla, caramelized sugar, and oak flavors with a surprisingly expressive and warm long finish.
La Pulga
This new tequila offering comes nearly five months after La Pulga founders Sarah Castillo, Andrew De La Torre, and Stephen Slaughter put their resources together to create a Fort Worth-centric tequila brand. Along with the company’s head of spirits, Ale Ochoa, and a few other investors, La Pulga has been making the rounds in DFW at select retailers, restaurants, and bars.
But tequila isn’t the only thing this new company of Fort Worthians has in the works. La Pulga recently acquired the 12-acre historic Pequeño Mexico flea market on the north side of Fort Worth, which is one of the oldest open-air flea markets in the U.S. According to a press release, they will soon break ground on the state-of-the-art Sotol distillery, which will continue to operate the weekly market.
“I managed this market property for ten years or so, and when Covid hit, it fell on hard times, and it was about to be torn down.” De La Torre said in April. “When you come here on the weekends, you see a lot of families hanging out, people bartering over clothes, tools, electronics, and you can hear regional Mexican music and taste authentic Mexican food. It’s a community.”
With the future of one of the nation’s oldest open-air markets safe, the co-founders of La Pulga are excited to roll up their sleeves and do the work necessary to see their goals come to fruition.
“This is not a flash-in-the-pan thing for us,” De La Torre said. “We want to be in the trenches. We’re doing this for the love of the spirit and for the culture that the industry brings and represents. It’s an honor to put that spirit of community in that bottle.”
Stephen Montoya
Earlier this year, La Pulga released a distinctive tequila lineup, including its Tequila Blanco; an unaged 80-proof silver tequila and a 80-proof Tequila Reposado, aged for seven months in used barrels. All La Pulga spirits are artisanal, made with traditional methods, crafted by hand, and certified additive-free.
“Our new Añejo Tequila … [was] created in the soulful land of Jalisco by our incredibly talented jimadors, but you can absolutely taste the Fort Worth grit and determination that is sealed in every bottle,” Castillo says. “We pride ourselves on making vibrant tequilas with the taste of Mexican culture, passion, and flavor, and our Añejo is no exception.”
