This $400 Tequila Comes With an Application — and Not Everyone Makes the Cut

Brent Hocking is no stranger to the spirits world. The entrepreneur and industry veteran founded DeLeón Tequila in 2009, co-founded Virginia Black in 2016, and Mod Sélection Champagne two years later with hip-hop superstar Drake. 

He is currently the CEO of his company, Mod Selecter, but is no longer affiliated with DeLeón, having sold the brand to spirits conglomerate Diageo in 2013. (Diageo subsequently partnered with disgraced hip-hop mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs, a relationship that ended acrimoniously in 2024 — and Combs is now on trial for sex trafficking.) For his latest venture, Hocking has stepped away from the realm of celebrity-backed brands to launch an ultra-exclusive tequila called Purísima. You won’t find a bottle in your local liquor store, however — if you want to get your hands on this high-end spirit, you must navigate an online velvet rope by filling out an application and waiting to see if you make the cut.

Hocking says that exclusivity was not necessarily the goal for his new brand; rather, it’s simply a result of how the tequila is produced. 

“Purísima isn’t limited to be clever; it’s limited because of what it takes to create something this uncompromised,” he told Food & Wine in an email. “We’re working with one distillery, one process, and only the highest quality raw materials, including what I believe to be the purest water source in the category… If you’re building brand reputation and something meant to live in the same world as fine wine or vintage spirits, then rarity is not only appropriate, it’s essential. It creates discipline — on both sides of the bottle.”

So, how exactly does one get a bottle of Purísima? Interested buyers have to visit the brand’s website and complete an online form, acknowledging that this is merely a request and not a guarantee that they’ll get a bottle. Hocking says this system is not based on an algorithm or a secretive way to collect user data; it’s just to make sure there’s “honest intent” from consumers — an unusual request for selling a commodity. 

“Most people come through the registry by request,” he said. “Others are referred by chefs, collectors, or people in the trade who understand what we’re trying to preserve. It’s not about status or exclusivity for its own sake — that’s how we maintain integrity.”

The tequila is produced at NOM 1519, the former home of DeLeón. Hocking says that his new brand is made using similar methods — a dedicated production model at just one distillery, as opposed to contract distillation. 

“We use natural spring wells that run over 400 meters deep — an unusual source of water purity in tequila production,” he said. “Fermentation is proprietary, and the agave is highland-grown, selected for ideal ripeness and sugar content. We don’t disclose every detail because, frankly, we don’t need to. Our proof is in the liquid itself.” He also claims that Purísima is additive-free, although there is currently no way to independently verify this — and the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) won’t allow brands to label tequila as such.

A bottle of Purísima blanco, the only expression available at the moment, will set you back $400 — an extremely high price point that further underscores the brand’s exclusivity. According to Hocking, aged expressions are in development, including a limited-edition reposado slated for release in the fall and an añejo to follow. He’s also set to release Brown Sugar Café Mexicana, a coffee-tequila liqueur (think Patron XO Cafe) made with Purísima as the base spirit.

Hocking acknowledges that the surge in celebrity-backed tequila brands over the past few years has brought a great deal of attention to the category, resulting in some notable success stories. However, it has also created a few issues for the category as a whole, which is why he’s not collaborating with a famous face on Purísima. 

“Celebrity tequila has contributed to a perception problem, that tequila is more about image than substance,” he said. “Oversaturation isn’t just about quantity; it’s about dilution of meaning. When too many products flood the market with similar stories and generic liquid, consumers become disoriented.” 

He certainly hopes that’s not the case here, and that the exclusivity of this new tequila brand will be a feature, not a bug, to help it gain recognition — without an actor, musician, or athlete promoting it.