
Puntas: Drop-dead delicious or just drop dead?
Puntas are (among) the first spirits that come off a still – the heads, is what they’re called. Or foreshots, if you’re reading some of the online resources for moonshiners. And those resources suggest they might be harmful. Mezcaleros suggest they’re definitely delicious. Tom Bartram and I attempt to settle that score in this episode of Agave Road Trip!
Agave Road Trip is a critically acclaimed, award-winning podcast that helps gringx bartenders better understand agave, agave spirits, and rural Mexico. This episode is hosted by Lou Bank with special guest Tom Bartram of Speciality Brands.

Puntas and Colas and the Heart of the Distillation
When I first started learning about heritage agave spirits, I misunderstood the labels that noted “puntas and colas.” I thought that meant that what was in the bottle was a blend of the heads and tails of a distillation — but in fact the heart of the distillation had been adjusted with the heads and tails. But, then … maybe I was wrong about being wrong? We look closely at the cuts in this episode of Agave Road Trip!

Heads, Hearts, and Tails: Where You Cut Matters
Most people think that when you distill a spirit, what comes out of that still goes directly into the bottle. But, in fact, different distillers make different decisions about which parts of the distillation they keep and which parts they leave out — and those decisions have a profound effect on the finished flavor. That’s what we talk about in this episode of Agave Road Trip!