Menu
Close
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias the co-founder of Pocho Fino Tequila.
Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias has spent nearly three decades becoming one of the biggest stand-up comedians on the planet. He made history as the first comedian to sell out Dodger Stadium, starred in and executive produced his own Netflix series, and remains one of the highest-grossing touring comics of his generation — still filling arenas from Los Angeles to Athens. "To be an entertainer and have a career that lasts that long, I'm very fortunate," he told me in a recent video interview. "Every year, there are roughly 80 new comedians. To still be in the mix — it's mind-blowing. I don't take it for granted."
That longevity wasn't luck. It was built the slow way, and it's the blueprint he's now applying to his newest venture. In March, Iglesias launched Pocho Fino Tequila with Next Century Spirits, the Zebulon, North Carolina company behind Blue Chair Bay Rum and Bear Fight Whiskey. In a market drowning in celebrity agave plays, another famous name on a bottle wouldn't be news. What sets Pocho Fino apart is its clear point of view: it bills itself not as a Mexican tequila, but as a Mexican-American one — and its founder built it from the ground up.
"I drink enough of it, it only made sense," Iglesias told me with a laugh when I asked why tequila. "I've been approached for many, many years to sign on to be part of different brands of tequilas, but this is the first time I've had an opportunity to do something from scratch. From the naming of it, the creation of the label, to selecting the flavors, I've been part of the whole thing. This is my baby."
The name carries weight. "Pocho" is a term used in Mexico to describe Mexicans born in the United States — and it isn't usually meant kindly. "It's like, you're from over there, not from over here," Iglesias said. "I wanted to take a word that's not always used in the most positive way and flip it and turn it into something positive." (The "Fino"? "Anything that sounds fancy has the word F-I-N-O," he joked.)
The positioning was born at the very first meeting with Next Century, when someone at the table suggested the brand made sense because he was from Mexico. "Actually, I wasn't born in Mexico, I was born in the United States, but my family's all from Mexico," he recalled telling the room. "If we're going to tell a genuine story, then this tequila can't just be a Mexican tequila. It needs to be a Mexican-American tequila, because that's my story." Millions of Americans live that dual identity, yet few tequila brands speak to it directly. "We're living in a time of labels," Iglesias said. "So let's get it right. Let's be as upfront and honest as possible and just call it what it is."
Don't expect Iglesias to lecture you on tahona wheels and highland terroir. "I'm not a sipper. I've never been a sipper," he admitted. His longtime pour was Patrón, prized because he could find it anywhere on earth, and he knew it was a good tequila. "I'm in Croatia, I bet you five bucks I can find it downstairs," he said from a stop on his current European tour. That accessibility became one of Pocho Fino’s guiding principles. Pointing to the upscale chain Mastro's Steakhouse, he put it this way: "Mastro's makes an incredible steak, but who sells more? McDonald's. And that's who I want to be. I want to be somebody for everybody."
The initial lineup reflects that philosophy: a traditional Blanco alongside flavored Mexican Candy and Grilled Pineapple expressions, all priced at $29.99 for a 750ml bottle. It's a price point designed for an ordinary weeknight rather than a special occasion. "I don't want it to be an occasion thing," Iglesias said. "It doesn't have to be a thing where you gotta dust off the bottle."
Look closely at that eye-popping label, and you'll find the brand's heart: Risa and Vinnie, Iglesias's two late chihuahuas, honored as the brand's guardians and woven into the logo itself. A dog lover his whole life — "I'm big on dogs. I'm really, really big on dogs," he told me — Iglesias knew early on that if anyone's face was going on the bottle, it wouldn't be his. "Let's class it up a little bit," he cracked.
The choice runs deeper than a punchline. Risa lived to nearly 17, Vinnie to 14, and both logged years on tour buses at his side. "My dogs were my world," he said. "They spent a big chunk of their life on the road with me. They were with me many nights when I was drinking. They saw me on good days, bad days, awesome days." When they passed, putting them on the label felt like the truest way to honor them — and, as he pointed out, the breed fit the brand: "You can't get more Mexican of a dog than a chihuahua. You go to Mexico, you'll see them on the roofs, you'll see them in the streets. Chihuahuas rule over there."
The tribute extends beyond the artwork: a portion of the proceeds from sales goes to animal shelters and adoption organizations, tying into his Round of A Paws foundation. And the tradition continues — his new four-pound chihuahua, Roka, has already traveled to 40 states and three countries. "It's the most real thing in my life," he said of life with his dogs. "You can't buy their love. You can't buy their respect."
Iglesias is refreshingly clear-eyed about the celebrity spirits graveyard. "A lot of times celebrities will come in, and it's a hard push, and then they're off to do their TV show, their movie, whatever it is," he said. "I'm in it for the long play, not a quick pop. It's going to be a slow burn, but I'm prepared to go the distance." He's so wary of overselling that he won't even work the tequila into his stand-up yet: "I don't want people to feel like I'm using the live show right in their face to tell them about it."
It’s the same patient approach that carried Iglesias from open mics to sold-out stadiums, and he believes it can work in tequila, too. According to Iglesias, it’s already paying off, with Pocho Fino standing as Next Century, the brand behind Bear Fight Whiskey and Blue Chair Bay Rum, strongest launch ever.
Pocho Fino is available in California, Texas, Florida and Arizona at retailers including Total Wine & More, BevMo! and Walmart, with new states rolling out monthly and nationwide shipping at PochoFinoTequila.com. If Iglesias gets his way, the lineup will grow. "I have this fascination with orange, and I like vanilla — maybe like a creamsicle type of flavor," he mused. "I'm willing to do the trial and make the error so we can get it right."
From a fine glass to a plastic cup, Pocho Fino is built to fit the moment — and watched over by two little dogs who saw it all. That's Fluffy's kind of tequila.
