La Pulga Tequila, the Fort Worth, Texas-based spirits label, has released a 90-proof limited-edition reposado finished in Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon barrels, marking the brand's first publicly disclosed cross-category barrel collaboration and targeting a premium craft spirits segment that has drawn intensifying investment from both large distillers and independent operators.
The expression — marketed as La Pulga Reposado Double Barrel — begins as a seven-month reposado produced from 100% Blue Weber Agave sourced in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, before undergoing a second maturation in freshly emptied Still Austin Red Corn Bourbon casks. The double-barrel technique, borrowed from Scotch whisky tradition and increasingly applied across aged spirits categories, is designed to layer sweet red corn complexity and spice on top of the base agave character. No production volume, suggested retail price, or distribution footprint were disclosed in the announcement.
The launch arrives as the broader agave spirits category continues to outpace most other distilled-spirits segments in U.S. on- and off-premise channels. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, tequila and mezcal combined surpassed American whiskey in supplier revenue for the third consecutive year in 2025, with premium and ultra-premium tiers driving the bulk of dollar-value growth. Finished and experimental expressions — reposados and añejos matured in wine, beer, or whiskey barrels — have attracted particular consumer attention as a mechanism for brand differentiation in an increasingly crowded import and craft market. Craft whiskey crossover partnerships, such as this one with Still Austin, also carry regional storytelling value that independent retailers and on-premise buyers have shown willingness to pay up for. Coverage of related craft spirits innovation trends and premium tequila category dynamics has tracked this pattern across multiple recent quarters.
"Bringing together the heritage of Jalisco with the spirit of Texas innovation" was the framing used by La Pulga in its release materials, a positioning that aligns with a broader industry playbook of pairing Mexican provenance claims with domestic finishing to appeal to U.S. consumers with affinities for both categories. Still Austin Whiskey Co., the Austin-based craft distillery known for its grain-to-glass Texas bourbon program, provides a recognisable regional anchor for that narrative. Neither company disclosed financial terms of the barrel supply arrangement.
La Pulga has not released comparative sales data or prior-year revenue figures. The limited-edition designation suggests constrained initial allocation, a common strategy among smaller spirits operators to build scarcity-driven retailer and consumer demand ahead of potential broader rollouts. Further distribution and pricing details are expected to be communicated through the brand's direct channels at lapulga.com.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
