Our Founders
Three Fort Worth, Texas entrepreneurs had the vision to develop a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality Mexican Spirits. Sarah Castillo, a celebrated restauranteur behind Taco Heads, Tinies Mexican Cuisine and Sidesaddle Saloon, Andrew De La Torre, a visionary club owner and operator of the Northside Fort Worth open-air market, and Stephen Slaughter, an entrepreneur.
Our Beginning
Together they set out to develop authentic, approachable, and affordable premium spirits with only the soul of the land and heart of the spirit as the ingredients. La Pulga was inspired by the vibrancy of the open-air market on the Northside of Fort Worth Texas. It has been a gathering place and part of the community since the 1940’s.
The DISTILLERY
After visiting several distilleries across Mexico, the trio formed a partnership with NOM 1068, known as Agroindustria Guadalajara. The family owned and operated distillery was established in 1995 and is located in the town of Capilla de Guadalupe. At 6,400 ft elevation, this region is known for rich red soil, ideal agave growing conditions and live by the motto “We make juice for our people.” To learn more about our Wild Spirits production processes, visit the Wild Spirits section.
MORE THAN A SPIRITS BRAND
Just like the market that inspired us, La Pulga Spirits is about bringing people together, celebrating authentic craftsmanship, and honoring the legacy of the past while creating something new. In every bottle, you’ll find the spirit of community, the richness of tradition, and the belief that life, like good tequila, is best enjoyed together.
TEQUILAS
Made in small batches, La Pulga Tequila are crafted using 100% Blue Weber Agave and zero additives, concentrates or coloring added.
OUR PROCESS
Every step is a celebration of craftsmanship, culture, and care.
01
CULTIVATION
Our agave is grown sustainably without chemicals or pesticides and harvested from the fields surrounding our distillery, NOM 1068, in the Highlands of Jalisco at 6,400'. Jimadors use a coa to strip the leaves from mature plants, revealing the piña, or “agave heart.” We harvest based on brix, or sugar content, not age, ensuring only the ripest, sweetest agaves are used.
02
Preperation
Piñas are processed and readied for cooking the same day as they are harvested. They are halved and the tough inner core is removed. Agaves from the same fields are cooked together for consistency.
03
Cooking
Our agave hearts are split and roasted two ways: half spend 36 hours in a stone horno oven for caramelized depth, and half cook 24 hours in a steam autoclave for bright, clean flavors. This 50/50 dual cook method yields balanced, roasted agave with a crisp, clean finish.
04
Milling
The juice extraction process separates simple sugar juice from the plant's fiber for fermentation. A four-phase roller mill efficiently crushes cooked agave to extract the juice, helping to ensure consistent quality and preserve flavor. La Pulga only uses a single press of the juice for purity and quality.
05
Fermentation
Once milled, the liquid is transferred to open-air fermentation tanks and inoculated with proprietary yeast cultured from neighboring citrus orchards. The juice ferments for 3–6 days with cooling coils active to prevent contamination, all while rock music plays, agitating the yeast and getting the party started a little early.
06
Distillation
After fermentation, the liquid is twice distilled in 3,500-liter pot stills. The first run takes a wider cut, bringing the distillate to 34 proof, while the second raises it to 110 proof (55% ABV). This dual distillation reveals the layered complexity of highland agave.
07
Finishing
The tequila is then transferred to 20,000-liter stainless steel tanks, cooled to 4°C, and pumped with oxygen for 19 hours. This meticulous finishing process lowers the spirit to 80 proof with minimal dilution, enhancing viscosity and creating a smooth, refined mouthfeel.
08
Aging
Our Blanco tequila receives a touch of deep well water to achieve the final proof. For our aged expressions, the un-cut tequila is placed in American Oak Barrels from Kentucky and Tennessee where it will gently rest until reaching the desired flavor profile, up to 11 months for the Reposado and 22 months for the Añejo.
Wild Spirits
Our Mezcal and Sotol are born from the wild. Harvested from untamed plants that grow where the desert meets the sky. Each batch is crafted by hand, in limited quantities, not just to protect the land, but to honor it. Our mezcal is made from mature Salmiana agave grown wild for 12-14 years. It's harvested by Cuadrillas (squads), groups of family that rotate jobs within the distillery.
Our Sotol comes from the Dasylirion Wheeleri known as the Desert Spoon, wild harvested in Chihuahua. Once harvested, the piñas are cooked in subterranean ceramic chambers resulting in a gentle, smoky flavor.
