FORT WORTH, Texas — This story was originally published by our content partners at the Dallas Business Journal. Read the original version here.
La Pulga Tequila has partnered with Texas Christian University Athletics to become the first ever "official tequila of the Horned Frogs."
The Fort Worth-based tequila brand announced the sponsorship this week and said its spirits will be used for cocktails during football and basketball games in the clubs and suites of Amon G. Carter Stadium and Schollmaier Arena, along with some bars and restaurants near TCU.
The company also developed more than 500 limited edition cases, featuring purple bottles with the school's mascot on the front that will be sold at stores across Fort Worth and the metro area. The special edition bottle's suggested retail price is $44.99.
La Pulga Spirits LLC CEO Alan Thompson said the brand has been steadily expanding since being founded last year, and the company opened more than 600 accounts in the first quarter. He said the Horned Frog-themed bottles are a big deal.
"This is the biggest thing that we've done so far," he said. "We're very, very excited about this bottle and ... the accounts that we have gone in to pre-sell it, to get everything ready, they love the packaging, and they're very excited about the bottle. So I think there's going to be a lot of support."
La Pulga was founded last year by Sarah Castillo, owner of Taco Heads and Tinies Mexican Cuisine; Andrew De La Torre, a club owner and operator of Pequeño Mexico; and local real estate developer Stephen Slaughter. The company has more than 70 investors across Texas, although the company declined to name them.
"La Pulga" translates into "the flea" in Spanish, and the term is often used to refer to a flea market. De La Torre is the manager of a longstanding market in Fort Worth off University Drive, which the brand is named after. The tequila is distilled and bottled in Mexico and is made of 100% blue agave.
Thompson said the TCU Athletics sponsorship came about from La Pulga leaders thinking about making a bottle with a horned lizard "alebrije," a type of Mexican folk art. They sent the idea to TCU Athletics for review for approval, and they came back with an idea of their own: an official sponsorship.
Jeremiah Donati, TCU's director of intercollegiate athletics, expressed excitement about the partnership.
"Whether in the premium areas of our home venues or locally, we know our fans will enjoy the opportunity to sample the many TCU-themed beverages La Pulga will be offering and continue to support those who support us," Donati said in a statement.
For a Fort Worth company, the partnership with TCU Athletics speaks to a strategy of building a consistent, local presence.
"To build a brand for the long run means that you need to continue to be there every single account that you open up," said Dave Wiley, La Pulga's vice president of marketing. "You have to go back, you have to support them, you have to sample, you have to give them stuff to work with and give them a reason to support us versus the other hundreds of brands people can purchase."
La Pulga is distributed via Republic National Distributing Company.
Looking forward, La Pulga leaders plan to expand the "pulga" market on University. Thompson said they are working with design agencies and engineers to see what's possible on the roughly 12 acres of land. When the company launched, they discussed building a sotol distillery. Thompson said they are still considering the possibilities.
"We're trying to kind of take a step back and look at that land and see how we can make best use of it for the community," Thompson said. "And our main initiative of that land is still and always has been to rebuild the 'la pulga,' to upgrade the 'la pulga' for the community that has been there since the [1940s]."