*Dan Pashman: Hey everyone, Dan here! And with the holiday season in full swing,  we are bringing you a festive Reheat this week, all about Coquito. Now we wanted to share this one with you because Coquito just came up this week in our episode with LP O'Brien the mixologist, who stopped drinking. When she mentioned Coquito, it reminded me how incredibly delicious this Christmas season beverage is.

*Dan Pashman: As you may know, is a Puerto Rican Christmas time staple, similar to eggnog. Now, in this episode we’re gonna take you to a distillery, a Coquito competition, and a boozy office holiday party. It's a ton of fun, I think it'll put you in the Coquito spirit. Now, of course, if there’s an episode of The Sporkful you want us to pull out of the deep freezer and reheat, please let us know! Send an email or voice memo to hello@sporkful.com. Be sure to include your first name, location, which episode you’d like to Reheat and why. Thanks so much and enjoy.

MUSIC

CLIP (GEORGE TORRES): One of the best and most festive memories I have are my Christmases in Puerto Rico. 

CLIP (TANYA LOPEZ): Christmas Eve was celebrated and it was just amazing how everybody just gathered together to play dominoes too and drink lots of coquito. It had coconut and the combination of spices gives it a real good kick.

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: Coquito is basically a Puerto Rican variation on eggnog. It's made with coconut milk, rum, cinnamon, and other spices. But as we learned when we put this show together, it's also a lot more.

CLIP (GEORGE TORRES): It's a great time.

[LAUGHING]

CLIP (GEORGE TORRES): More than anything, it's a great time. I think it's the centerpiece of our Christmas celebration. 

*Dan Pashman: That's George Torres. Before that, we heard Tania Lopez. More from both of them coming up. I've never had Coquito, so I wanted to talk to some real masters. Fortunately, just up the road in Harlem, there's a Coquito Masters competition. We talked to some of the competitors. 

CLIP (DEBBIE QUINONES): During this time of the year, you can talk to any Puerto Rican, and you can ask them, where's the Coquito, and they will pull it out of somewhere in their house. Debbie Quinones, I'm also known as the coquito contestor I'm founder of, Cojito Masters. How do you define a Coquito? It's what people put into it, and I think they put love into it. 

CLIP (JOSE STEVENSON): I have become the main Coquito maker in my family. My name is Jose Stevenson and I live in the Bronx, New York. I completely associate Coquito with my godmother. It is one of my strongest connections to her and especially, you know, when she was alive I remember her teaching me how to make it. And after she passed away, it remained one of the ways to stay connected with her. And I feel like whenever I am making her recipe, I am making it with her.

CLIP (ELAINE CRUZ): From what I've gathered from competing, a good Coquito is a good mix of everything. Everything — well, you're tasting everything, but no one ingredient is overpowering you. My name is Elaine Cruz. I go by the um, nickname of "Chicky". I live in the Bronx. And my Coquito goes by the name of Huepalicious. The word huepa, is also very cultural to us Puerto Ricans, and it means like, you know, like, wow, fun, having a good time — huepa! So this is why I call it Huepalicious.

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: Today on The Sporkful, we'll hear from more Coquito masters, including the winner of the competition. Plus, I'll head up to the Bronx to visit the only distillery in America that's making Puerto Rican moonshine legally. And find out what happens when I pounce some of our friends at WNYC full of Coquito and stick microphones in their faces. It's a Feliz Navidad indeed. Stick around.

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: From WNYC Studios, this is The Sporkful. It's not for foodies, it's for eaters. I'm Dan Pashman. Each week on our show, we obsess about food to learn more about people. With apologies for my pronunciations throughout this show, because I took French, today we're talking about Coquito, which, as I said, is basically a Puerto Rican variation on eggnog.

*Dan Pashman: And there's another drink you're gonna hear a lot about in this show. It's called Pitorro. Pitorro is Puerto Rican moonshine. Back in the day, Pitorro was the liquor everyone in Puerto Rico used in their Coquito. Nowadays, most Puerto Ricans use rum, but there's a movement to bring Pitorro back. Of course, because Pitorro is moonshine, it's usually a backroom deal kind of thing.

*Dan Pashman: But there is one place in America that's making it legally. Port Morris Distillery in the South Bronx was started five years ago by two childhood friends from the projects. It's inside a nondescript warehouse, but as soon as you walk through the door, you see a whole wall painted in bright colors to look like a row of Caribbean style homes. This is the tasting room. The bar they set up is made with reclaimed wood and exposed metal. So, the whole thing kind of feels like a hipster enclave in old San Juan.

*Dan Pashman: The actual distilling process takes place in another room, which we'll get to in a minute. But, we started at the bar, where co-owner Billy Valentin and I talked about Pitorro, and how his grandma reacted when he told her he was selling it.

Billy Valentin: It's our traditional way of drinking. Like if you go to Puerto Rico and you go to somebody's house, they're not going to give you Bacardi. Most authentic is going to be Pitorro. And Pitorro is made in the mountains by a moonshiner. Somebody's family is making it in the backyard. When I started Pitorro here, I tell her, “Mom, you know, I'm doing Pitorro, she was like, "Oh my god! You know, it's against the law? Make sure the cops don't come here."

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS]

Billy Valentin: You know, she's 80-years-old, 79 ... I said, "No, I'm doing it legally." She's like, "Oh really?" She says, "Bring me a bottle."

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS]

Billy Valentin: So I take her bottle. My grandmother doesn't drink. As long as I'm alive — I'm 43-years-old, I have never seen her drink. But I take it to her and two weeks later I go — you know, I'm back and she gives me the bottle and the bottle's like a black color inside. It has, like, a tint to it, a really dark tint.

Dan Pashman: The liquid got darker.

Billy Valentin: Yeah, the liquid got very dark. I said, "What do you have in there?" She says, "Well, I have raisins, I have prunes, and I have a stick of cinnamon."

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS]

Billy Valentin: So I said, "Oh, let me taste it," and it tastes like brandy. It tastes so delicious that we brang it here and it became one of our hits, like instantly.

Dan Pashman: Did she ever try her own recipe? 

Billy Valentin: Yes. Yes, that was the first time I saw her drink in front of me.

Dan Pashman: What was that like? Did you have a drink too? First time you had a drink with your grandma? 

Billy Valentin: Yeah, yeah, it was. It was ... It was kind of surreal. It was cute, you know, cause she's older and she, you know, she took a little two shots and I'm like, oh, okay. She's like, "Don't tell nobody, you know? I don't want anybody to know." You know, so it was ... It was cute and it was really nice. 

Dan Pashman: And what type of alcohol is it? 

Billy Valentin: It's made out of apples and honey. We're using New York state products. If you're in Puerto Rico, you're going to — they're going to be using the fruit that's in season and then their sugars. 

Dan Pashman: So in Puerto Rico, it could taste different at different times of year. 

Billy Valentin: Yes. Every moonshiner is going to have a different taste. You know? You're going to have ... You'll have people going to the end of the island looking for the right Pitorro, but that's only making the base. After the base is made and the mash is made and we put it through the distilling process, it comes out as a white alcohol.  

Dan Pashman: That's one of your products, you call it Shine.

Billy Valentin: We call it Shine.

Dan Pashman: It's short for moonshine.

Billy Valentin: Yeah, exactly.

Dan Pashman: It's clear. It hasn't aged.

Billy Valentin: It hasn't been aged, exactly.

Dan Pashman: It hasn't been seasoned essentially.

Billy Valentin: It hadn't been seasoned or infused. So what somebody would do, they would take the Shine, they would take it home and they would open it, put it in a gallon. And in that gallon, they would — let's say they'll put pineapple. They'll take a whole pineapple and they'll cut the pineapple up. They'll put a pineapple inside and they'll leave it. In our country, in Puerto Rico, they bury it. And they'll leave it buried till a special day comes. And when that special day comes, unbury it. Now they're drinking pineapple juice at 92 proof.

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS]

Billy Valentin: Tastes amazing. But you don't taste how hard it is because it's already been infused for so long.

Dan Pashman: Can we walk around a little bit?

Billy Valentin: Absolutely. 

*Dan Pashman: We moved into the area where they actually make the Pitorro, and Billy showed me the old still that they first used when they opened. That one was modeled after the kinds used in the mountains of Puerto Rico. Then, Billy showed me the new one. It's called the Christian Carl, that's the brand name. The Christian Carl is beautiful. It's got a huge copper tank, small round windows around it, there's big shiny tubes coming out in all directions, a bunch of cool looking levers ... Sort of like what I imagine Willy Wonka would use to make his moonshine.

*Dan Pashman: The old still needed eight hours to make as much booze as the Christian Karl can make in one hour. But Billy still has a soft spot for the old one ...

Dan Pashman: So if I could just describe the difference ... So the old still is sort of faded, silver color, but the whole thing is kind of janky looking.

Billy Valentin: Well, if you say janky to somebody in the mountains, you probably won't walk out.

[LAUGHING]

Dan Pashman: Did I just insult you no?

Billy Valentin: No, no.

Dan Pashman: Okay. Okay. Good.

Billy Valentin: Not me, cause I went from janky to shiny.

Dan Pashman: Right, right. right? No, but, like, it looks like the idea of running a real distillery that's gonna be producing large quantities of alcohol [Billy Valentin: Yes.] to become the size of a company that you want to become ...

Billy Valentin: Right.

Dan Pashman: You're not going to be able to do it with that thing.

Billy Valentin: No, no.

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS]

Billy Valentin: No, I can't do it with that because ...

Dan Pashman: It looks like it's seen — now, but so where did this one come from" 

Billy Valentin: I built it myself.

Dan Pashman: Oh, wow.

Billy Valentin: So I'm a, by trade, a local 28 sheet metal worker. My partner is a manager for the New York City Housing Authority. When his uncle came, he kind of started telling me how it looked. And I started drawing it down on paper. And after I drew it on paper, I said, "Is this kind of like what you're looking at?", and he's like, "Yep." And so I went back to the shop, you know, did a test run on it, and it was love at first sight. You know, and that first drip that came out was ... you know, it was just amazing.

Dan Pashman: So talk to me about the holidays and the role that Pitorro plays in holiday drinking. 

Billy Valentin: Well, Pitorro originally, it was mostly sold from November to December. Once the holidays came, moonshiners were in full effect. You couldn't even find sugar in Puerto Rico. Like the sugar was sold out everywhere because people were making their mash.

Dan Pashman: And Pitorro is traditionally the alcohol used in Coquito. 

Billy Valentin: Yes. Coquito is traditionally made with Pitorro. 

Dan Pashman: And am I right that there's also a tradition, like people come around, like, they basically go caroling and sing songs?

Billy Valentin: Yes.

Dan Pashman: And if someone sings a song ...

Billy Valentin:  ... Parranda, yeah. 

Dan Pashman: Parrandas, and then ... And so what's the tradition? How does that work? 

Billy Valentin: Well, people go from house to house called la parranda, you know, with their Pitorro and just in every house they'll pick up somebody else and continue the parranda all the way down. So yeah, it's definitely a tradition. 

Dan Pashman: But at each house you drink a little Pitorro. 

Billy Valentin: Uh, by the end of the parranda, you'll be drunk, but you could — by every second house.

Dan Pashman: Right.

[LAUGHING]

Billy Valentin: Or whoever has it.

Dan Pashman: right? So last question: What song do I have to sing to get a taste of Pitorro?

Billy Valentin: Ahhh, Esta Navidad. [SINGS] Esta Navidad ...

Dan Pashman: I don't know that ...

Billy Valentin: We gotta do it ... [SINGS ESTA NAVIDAD]

Dan Pashman: [SINGS ESTA NAVIDAD]

Billy Valentin: That's it. You got it. [LAUGHS]

Dan Pashman: All right, that's enough. [LAUGHS]

Billy Valentin: You got it.

Dan Pashman: I earned my taste?

Billy Valentin: You earned your taste. Absolutely.

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: Drink we did and it was so, so good. In fact, I picked up a bottle of Pitorro infused to taste like Coquito, even though it has no coconut milk in it. Coming up, I'll bring that bottle to The Sporkful Christmas Coquito Party we're throwing at the end of this show. The one you're listening to right now. And if that's not enough to get you to keep listening, I'll give you a certified personal guarantee that I will not attempt to sing again in this episode ... Unless I drink too much Coquito at the party. Yeah, actually, you know what? I'm not making any guarantees. Stick around.

MUSIC

 

+++BREAK+++

 

*Dan Pashman: I am so happy that American Express is the presenting sponsor of today's episode because I love American Express. I have an AmEx Personal Gold card. If you dine out often, I strongly recommend the Amex Gold Card. So when you go to eat, you use your Amex Gold Card — first of all, you break out an AmEx Gold Card, you know, you just — you kind of feel like a V.I.P., but also when you dine out, you get extra points at restaurants and those points add up fast. Before you know it, you're gonna have enough points for flight somewhere. Cardholders can enroll and earn up to $120 back in statement credits after paying at participating dining partners, up to $10 each month and get up to $120 back annually after you pay with the American Express Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants, or make other eligible Resy purchases. Like I said, with my AmEx Gold Card, I just feel like a V.I.P. and I feel like I'm always racking up points. I get 4 times points at restaurants globally on up to $50,000 annually. AmEx Gold rewards your love of dining experiences allowing you to check out new restaurants, connect with your family and friends, and explore exciting flavors all while earning points. That's the powerful backing of American Express. For terms and to learn more, visit AmericanExpress.com/withamex.

 

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: Welcome back to another Sporkful Reheat, I'm Dan Pashman. Now as you may recall, in our New Year's Resolutions episode last year, I resolved to eat more fish this year. Well, coming up in the 2024 year end episode, I will be grading myself on how well I did and revealing my New Year's food resolution for 2025. Of course, that means I also want to hear from you. So please record a voice memo, with your name, location, and then tell me what food do you resolve to eat more in the new year and why, and you may hear yourself in our year end spectacular. Send that voice memo to me at hello@sporkful.com. 

*Dan Pashman: One more very important note, this January I am coming to Memphis — first ever live Sporkful show in Memphis at the Buckman Arts Center on Thursday, January 16th. I'll be joined by local food legend Karen Blockman Carrier, owner of The Beauty Shop and lots of other local food businesses. This is a beautiful theater. It's gonna be a great night and I want to see all you Sporkful fans in Memphis January 16th. For tickets and more info, please go to sporkful.com/events. Thanks. Now back to this week's Reheat.

MUSIC

CLIP (JOHN ALI): Well, I make it the way my grandma used to make it back in the day. You know, I still have the little piece of paper where she wrote the ... What? The mix? I still have it, the little Post-Its, so I keep that in my desk, you know, and every year I pull it out. It has egg on it, vanilla, and I still pull it out. That's what I use. My name is John Ali and I live in Woodhaven, Queens.

CLIP (JEAN SCALES): Goes down smooth, and then, you know, you're drinking a cup ... You drink two cups, and then the next thing you do, you go to get up, and you're done. [LAUGHS] My name is Jean Scales, and currently I live in the Bronx. And a friend of mine saw this on a website and says, "You have to join, you can win this." And I went and I did the qualifier and I won that. And then lo and behold, here I am, and I won this. I can't believe it! I really can't. Actually, it's my grandmother Celia's recipe, and I have not wavered at all from it. I don't add anything different. I do exactly what she told me to do, and I'm not telling you what that is.

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: Welcome back to The Sporkful from WNYC Studios. I'm Dan Pashman. We just heard from a couple more people who were at the Coquito Masters competition in Harlem. In just a minute, we'll taste the winning Coquito. But first, I wanted to learn a little more about how you actually make Coquito and the best way to drink it.

*Dan Pashman: So I reached out to some experts. George Torres is the founder of Sofrito Media Group. He works to connect Latinos to their culture. And Tania Lopez is the founder of Coqui the Chef. She teaches classes that help kids and adults live a healthier lifestyle. And when they came in, the first thing I brought up was actually love, because people keep telling me there's love in the Coquito. So my question to Tania was: How do you put love in a drink? 

Tania Lopez: It's the ambience and how you feel, and that's why it's good to do it once a year. Because if you do it all the time, the love is not going to be so much there. So if you do it once a year, it's — all the love is there, all the ambience, the music, the, you know, your family waiting for that drink to get done so they can drink it right away. It's like all that wonderful, you know, feelings that come with it. 

Dan Pashman: Man, you're making me really thirsty. 

Tania Lopez: [LAUGHS]

George Torres: There's a lot of rituals that are that way, you know?

Tania Lopez: Yeah.

Dan Pashman: And George, what do you think about this idea that how can you tell if a Coquito has been made with a lot of love? 

George Torres: It's the way it's presented to you. So, in my house, you know, my aunt grabs the bottle, she cradles it like a baby, like you've heard before. [LAUGHING] And she says, you know, "yYou guys want Coquito?", and it's just that. It's something about it. It's hard to put in words. In Puerto Rico, we say no traduce. It doesn't translate in words. 

Tania Lopez: Mm-hmm.

Dan Pashman: Let's talk a bit about exactly the best way to drink Coquito. Ice or no ice, Tanya? 

Tania Lopez: No ice. Nice and cold. 

Dan Pashman: Cold but no ice.

Tania Lopez: Right.

Dan Pashman: So it should be chilled.

Tania Lopez: Yes.

Dan Pashman: George?

George Torres: I agree with that 100 percent. I like to freeze mine. It doesn't freeze because of the alcohol content — not that I have a lot of it, but ...

[LAUGHING]

George Torres: You know, um ...

Dan Pashman: Not that he's done a lot of research ...

Tania Lopez: [LAUGHS]

George Torres: But, but I like it slushy. So sometimes I'll ...

Tania Lopez: Ohh.

George Torres: If my aunt will serve me, I'll kind of throw it in the freezer for a little while and let everybody else enjoy their Coquito and kind of go back to it and it gets a little slushy and whatever, so I like it. 

Dan Pashman: Now, one of the Coquitos we're going to try — we're going to try a few different ones in a minute. One of them is going to be the one that you made, Tanya, right? 

Tania Lopez: Yes, I call it Coquito light. 

Dan Pashman: Why? 

Tania Lopez: Because I use fresh milk, and I try to use things that have less sugar in them, and you know, and less cholesterol, that kind of thing. [LAUGHS]

Dan Pashman: Right. So it might not be quite as rich and decadent ...

Tania Lopez: Yes.

Dan Pashman: But it's probably the kind of thing that you could drink more of without feeling gross. 

Tania Lopez: Yes.

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS]

Tania Lopez: That's a secret. 

[LAUGHING]

George Torres: And which is really important because right now, as we have the dialogue about health in the community, specifically Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, more likely to have diabetes, people, like Tanya, are doing a lot of diligent work in the community to make sure that we are able to preserve the tradition but still do so in a healthier way, so ...

Dan Pashman: Do you have to use some form of dairy? I asked because one of the Coquitoes we're gonna try today is from Port Morris Distillery — I think what it is is Coquito flavored Pitorro. You know, they bill it as Coquito and they're like, hey, it's dairy-free and it is delicious, but is it Coquito?

George Torres: Coquito is a cream based, obviously. It's white, it's milky, and whatnot. I think that the Pitorro from the Port Morris Distillery is probably branded Coquito because it's a brand that obviously would appeal to us. 

Dan Pashman: So it's good marketing. 

George Torres: Oh, it's great marketing. 

Tania Lopez: Mm-hmm.

Dan Pashman: And it may be delicious. It may be a delicious drink, but it may not be true Coquito. Is that right, Tanya? 

Tania Lopez: I have to try it. 

Dan Pashman: All right. [LAUGHS]

Tania Lopez: I haven't tried it.

George Torres: Yeah, I think sampling is in order here.

Tania Lopez: Oh, okay.

George Torres: Absolutely.

Tania Lopez: Let's go, let's go.

Dan Pashman: All right.

[LAUGHING]

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: I wanted to share Coquito with some more people who'd never had it before, so while Tania and George hung out, I went wandering around WNYC looking for people to come to our Sporkful Coquito Christmas party. And, I gotta say, you'd be amazed at how easy it is to get people to leave their desks and just come running when you're waving bottles of free booze in the air.  Try it in your office.

*Dan Pashman: Anyway, we had three varieties for people to taste. We had Gene Scale's Traditional Coquito, that's the one that won the contest in Harlem. We had Tanya's Coquito Light, and we had the Port Morris Distillery Pitorro that's flavored like Coquito. It's infused with coconut, cinnamon, and other spices, but it has no dairy and eggs. Pretty soon, the party was on.

Brooke Gladstone: Hello. 

Dan Pashman: All right. Brooke Gladstone from On The Media. Welcome. So what do you think of the Coquito?

Brooke Gladstone: It was a delicious balance. It had that quality that made you feel very powerfully that if you drank this, your heart would stop and you would die.

Dan Pashman: [LAUGHS]

Brook Gladstone: Bye!

Dan Pashman: Sean! Let's get Sean up here. Sean Rameswaram.

Sean Rameswaram: Very nice.

Dan Pashman: Did I say that correctly?

Sean Rameswaram: You did, Dan Pashman. 

Dan Pashman: Sean ...

Tania Lopez: [LAUGHS]

Sean Rameswaram: Pash - man?

Dan Pashman: That's how you pronounce that? Sean?

[LAUGHING]

Sean Rameswaram: Can I get a refill on? Yeah, take a refill!

Tania Lopez: Sure!

Dan Pashman: Come on up, buddy. That's the lower fat one.

Sean Rameswaram: That's the low fat? Okay, so this is the best one.

Tania Lopez: [LAUGHS]

Sean Rameswaram: Is that okay?

Dan Pashman: That's Tanya's.

Sean Rameswaram: Am I offending anyone?

Tania Lopez: No, that's the one Tania made.

Sean Rameswaram: Great.

Tania Lopez: That's mine.

Sean Rameswaram: No, I love it. It's sweet, and it just tastes like Christmas, but it's not too sweet. And it's light, you know? Like, I could drink, like, a bunch of cups of this. 

Tania Lopez: [LAUGHS]

Dan Pashman: Right. That's the key. Now but Tania, I actually have a semi serious question for you.

Tania Lopez: Okay.

Dan Pashman: So, when they invented light cigarettes, what they found was that people just took — smoked more cigarettes. Your Coquito is delicious, I love it, and it is lighter, and I could drink more of them ...

Tania Lopez: Mm-hmm.

Dan Pashman: But if I drink twice as many, am I eliminating the health benefits? 

Tania Lopez: That's when you have to learn self control. 

Dan Pashman: Oh ...

Tania Lopez: You know?

Dan Pashman: Self control.

Tania Lopez: Yeah, you know, too much of anything is bad for you. 

Dan Pashman: That's right. All things in moderation, including moderation.

Tania Lopez: There you go.

Sean Rameswaram: And nothing says the holidays like self control, right guys?

[LAUGHING]

Dan Pashman: George Torres, my guest here today, is the founder of Sofrito Media Group, and Tania Lope, creator of Coqui the Chef, who brought her own less fattening but no less delicious, and many said more delicious, version of Coquito, thank you very much, guys, and Merry Christmas.

George Torres: Thank you.

Tania Lopez: Thank you. Same to you.

George Torres: Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad. 

Tania Lopez: Feliz Navidad. Woo! 

George Torres: We should sing parrandas … 

Tania Lopez: [SINGS] Feliz Navidad! Everybody knows that! 

George Torres: No, we have to sing something more like ... [SINGS] ...

Tania Lopez: Oh wait, you go ahead because I don't remember the words.

George Torres: [SINGS]

Tania Lopez: Huepa!

MUSIC

*Dan Pashman: My thoughts on the Coquito tasting? I mean, they were all delicious. The old school one was really decadent, with more spice than traditional eggnog, lots of cinnamon and nutmeg. Tanya's lighter one was lighter, but still plenty rich and delicious. The Coquito flavored Pitorro, by liquor standards, it's very sweet.

*Dan Pashman: By Coquito standards, it's very strong. I actually thought the money move was to take Tanya's light Coquito and add a splash of the Pitorro. By the way, if you want to make Tanya's Coquito at home, she was nice enough to share the recipe. It's at sporkful.com. And while you're there on the interwebs, please connect with me on Facebook, Facebook.com/sporkful. And on Twitter and Instagram @thesporkful.

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*Dan Pashman: One update to share with you all about the Pitorro professionals you heard from in this episode. After a twelve-year run,  Port Morris Distillery closed their doors and discontinued production in 2023. They wrote on Facebook at the time: “We hope this isn’t a goodbye but more of a see you later.” Well, I'm really glad I got a chance to meet co-owner Billy Valentin and see the distillery in action.

MUSIC

 *Dan Pashman: And hey, did you know that you can listen to The Sporkful on the SiriusXM app? Yes, the SiriusXM app, it has all your favorite podcasts, plus over 200 ad-free music channels curated by genre and era, plus live sports coverage. Does your podcasting app have that? Then there's interviews with A-list stars and so much more. It's everything you want in a podcast app and music app all rolled into one. And right now, Sporkful listeners can get three months free of the SiriusXM app by going to SiriusXM.com/sporkful. Until next time, I'm Dan Pashman.

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*Dan Pashman: Thank you to our presenting sponsor American Express. AmEx Gold makes your dining experiences more rewarding so you can discover more, connect more, and experience more dining moments. Enjoy every meal with the benefits that come with American Express Gold. For terms and to learn more, visit AmericanExpress.com/withamex.