Drink up! Fort Worth-based distillery adds sotol to its spirits lineup
A Fort Worth-based distillery has added another spirit to their portfolio.
La Pulga Spirits, founded by three Fort Worth entrepreneurs, has added La Pulga Sotol Silver to its lineup of Mexican spirits. Sotol may be unfamiliar to many bar patrons, but it is a sort of second cousin to tequila and mezcal. It is distilled from the Dasylirion wheeleri plant, which is actually a member of the asparagus family and sometimes called the desert spoon or common sotol. The plant grows in Mexico as well as Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.
La Pulga's sotol is distilled in Mexico from 100% wild-harvested Dasylirion in the Northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. The plants for La Pulga Sotol Silver are sustainably harvested to preserve the unique ecosystem of the region, and the spirit is produced without additives, according to a La Pulga news release.
"Sotol is an incredible spirit, with a history that dates back more than 800 years in Mexico,"
said Andrew de la Torre, one of the founders of La Pulga Spirits, in a news release. "My family is from Coahuila, which borders Chihuahua, and so I know firsthand how sotol has always been a significant part of Northern Mexico's deep cultural heritage."
The brand takes its name from the Pulga outdoor market on University Drive on the Northside of Fort Worth, one of the oldest open-air flea markets in the country. Pulga means flea in Spanish.
The spirit brand was founded by de la Torre, a club owner and the operator of the Pulga market, together with Sarah Castillo, a Fort Worth restaurateur known for Taco Heads, Tinies Mexican Cuisine and Sidesaddle Saloon, along with third partner Stephen Slaughter, a local entrepreneur.
La Pulga Sotol Silver joins La Pulga Mezcal Artesanal to mark the second release in the brand's new "Wild Spirits" series. All La Pulga bottles are adorned with an "alebrije" (Mexican folk-art images often of mystical animals), corresponding to the specific spirit in the bottle. The animal spirit on La Pulga Sotol Silver bottles is a scorpion, symbolizing the Chihuahuan desert.
It's been a fast ride through the spirit world for La Pulga, which began during the pandemic. The three partners released their first tequilas in 2023. In August, La Pulga Tequila was named the first "Official Tequila of the Horned Frogs," part of a partnership with TCU Athletics. La Pulga also released a limited edition bottle of La Pulga Blanco Tequila adorned with a horned frog alebrije.
La Pulga tequilas, mezcal and sotol are available through Republic National Distributing
Co. at bars and restaurants throughout Dallas-Fort Worth and at spirits retailers. The brand is also available for purchase online via the La Pulga website. La Pulga Sotol Silver is priced at $44.99 for a 750 milliliter bottle.
Sales of agave spirits have soared in recent years, growing 7.9% in 2023, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., making agave spirits the fastest-growing in the spirits category. Where tequila and mezcal can be distilled is heavily regulated, but sotol production is less regulated, allowing it to be distilled in a variety of locations. One of the more popular sotol brands, Desert Door, is distilled in Driftwood, Texas.
Katherine Hennessy, manager at Fort Worth's Nickel City bar, said sotol has become more popular in the past six months.
"We have carried that variety of agave spirit since we opened and we are seeing a slight influx of people becoming more accepting of other agave spirits," she said. Raicilla, another agave spirit, has also seen some recent popularity, she said.
"For La Pulga Sotol, it was important to me to find a true Mexican sotol that honors and showcases this traditional spirit, while also helping to educate people about the enormous variety and quality of Mexican spirits," said de la Torre. "La Pulga Sotol is a product my grandparents would be proud of."
Chipotle for the east side?
According to a filing by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, there's a Chipotle Mexican Grill headed to the Shoppes at Renaissance Square area in Fort Worth. According to the filing, the 2,325-square-foot restaurant will be located at 2925 E. Berry St. and is set to be complete by the end of the year. Officials at the company's Newport Beach, California, headquarters wouldn't confirm the new restaurant, but did say they are always "exploring opportunities" in Fort Worth.
Law firm at The Crescent
Polsinelli Law Firm has signed a multiyear lease at The Crescent Fort Worth , a Class AA office and mixed-use development located in Fort Worth's Cultural District. Securing nearly 7,000 square feet and anticipating an Oct. 1 move-in, this is the next step in Polsinelli's commitment to growing in the Fort Worth market, according to a company news release. The firm announced in June that it had entered the market with the addition of Zachary Garsek as shareholder, Elizabeth D. Hatch as counsel, and Corinne Alley and Natalie Edwards as associates, along with administrative professionals from former Commercial Law Advisors, a local business law boutique.
Polsinelli's new address is 3230 Camp Bowie Blvd., Suite 580, Fort Worth, 76107.
Data center planned for north Fort Worth
Data centers seem to be the new coffee shop, springing up everywhere.
The latest is CyrusOne Corp.'s planned $200 million data center on Asphalt Drive in north Fort Worth, according to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. According to the filing, the estimated 190,400-square-foot single-story building will have a two-story office component. Construction is expected to begin this month and be completed by October 2026. JHET Architects of Mansfield are listed as the architects of record for the project.
Energy Council added
The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce has launched an energy council, which it calls a "platform for leaders across the energy spectrum to collaborate, share best practices and tackle the industry's evolving challenges." The council will be led by Ryan Haggerty of RHR Oil & Gas and John Vallance of Whitley Penn .
Industrial park financing
JLL has secured financing for DFW Commerce Center Phase II and III, a three-building, 1.9 million-square-foot Class-A industrial park located at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
JLL represented a joint venture between Goldman Sachs Alternatives and CLX Ventures to secure a floating-rate loan provided by an Ares Management Real Estate fund.
Located at 2501, 2701 and 2801 S. Airfield Drive in Irving, the park comprises three buildings on a DFW Airport ground lease. The buildings are part of the second and third phases of DFW Commerce Center.
Phases II and III are the last developed properties on a DFW Airport ground lease with Foreign Trade Zone capability.
More dinking in Crowley
Dill Dinkers, an indoor pickleball club franchise, said it plans to open its first club in Crowley this month.
Located at 320 E. Main St., the 21,000-square-foot club will feature eight fenced courts, a state-of-the-art reservation system powered by CourtReserve , a pro shop, a ball machine and a dedicated event space. The club also has a private event space that can host up to 20 people.
Justin Goehring is Dill Dinkers regional developer who is spearheading the company's development in Crowley.
Since it began in 2022 in Columbia, Maryland, Dill Dinkers now has five company-owned locations in Maryland and Virginia and has signed developers in Texas, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Connecticut, South Carolina, Arizona, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Pennsylvania. By year-end, Dill Dinkers expects to have at least 30 opened locations and more than 500 in the development pipeline.
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