A collaboration of experience, vision and a new generation.
Puntagave and Scorpion Mezcal unite Tequila Specialist founder Juan Pablo Garciabueno’s lifelong pursuit of distinctive agave spirits with nearly three decades of Douglas French’s pioneering work at Scorpion Mezcal, cultivating and distilling Oaxaca’s extraordinary magueyes. The result is four expressions—Tobalá, Cuishe, Pechuga and Barril—showcasing mezcal’s remarkable diversity and the land behind it. Looking forward, Maestras Mezcaleras Erika Aquino Aguilar and Elsa Argüelles Sánchez, trained under Douglas and now carrying his distilling legacy forward, represent the next generation. An aesthetic collaboration directed by Puntagave, bringing legacy, succession and agave diversity together in four bottles.The Idea of the Profiles
Erika Aquino Aguilar began working at Scorpion Mezcal in San Agustín de las Juntas, Oaxaca, as a teenager, starting with hands-on production work crushing cooked agave before learning textile work, bottling, labeling, and silk-screen printing. By age 24, she had already spent eight years working alongside Douglas French and had become known for her versatility, steadily taking on greater responsibilities throughout the operation. Her story reflects Scorpion Mezcal’s long-standing tradition of developing skilled local women within an industry historically dominated by men, giving them opportunities to learn multiple trades, grow professionally, and build greater economic independence.