Strong clear sugarcane moonshine from Ecuador’s subtropical valleys, drunk in shots. The name means tips: it is the first and strongest fraction off the still, which is exactly the fraction a licensed distiller discards.
Unlicensed distilling is a criminal offence, and this drink is by definition the head of the run — the fraction that carries methanol and other volatiles, and the one a proper cut exists to remove.
What goes into it
- sugarcane juice
- yeast
- water
How it is made
Cane juice is fermented for a few days and run through a small still. Rather than being cut away, the head of the run — the strongest and most volatile part — is collected and sold, which is where the drink gets both its strength and its name.
How long it takes: days to ferment, then a day to distil
How it is eaten
In shots, sometimes hot with cinnamon and naranjilla as canelazo.
History
Distilled from cane grown in Ecuador’s subtropical valleys; the first and strongest run off the still gives the drink its name.
Frequently asked questions
What is Puntas?
Puntas is a wine & spirit from Ecuador: strong clear sugarcane moonshine from the valleys, drunk in shots. Distilled from cane grown in Ecuador’s subtropical valleys; the first and strongest run off the still gives the drink its name.
How is Puntas made?
Cane juice is fermented for a few days and run through a small still. Rather than being cut away, the head of the run — the strongest and most volatile part — is collected and sold, which is where the drink gets both its strength and its name. It takes days to ferment, then a day to distil.
Can I make Puntas at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Unlicensed distilling is a criminal offence, and this drink is by definition the head of the run — the fraction that carries methanol and other volatiles, and the one a proper cut exists to remove.
What goes into Puntas?
Sugarcane juice, yeast, water.
How is Puntas eaten?
In shots, sometimes hot with cinnamon and naranjilla as canelazo.
