Pisco Sour And Other Pisco Cocktails
Pisco is a brandy made by distilling grape wine. It is made in wine-producing areas in Chile and Peru as an alternative to the Spanish orujo which is made from pomace (the solid remains of grapes after the juice is removed). At the time, Chile and Peru imported orujo and other liquors from Spain. Peru was then a viceroyalty of Spain. Peru began to make their own wine in 1560, then the Spanish government banned Peru from exporting their wines to Panama (1614) and Guatemala (1615).
In retaliation to the ban on the exportation of their wines and to find an alternative to the orujo, the pisco was started in the early 17th century but the first batches of aguardiente were used to prevent oxidation of the wines. When the brandy was first made, it was called aguardiente de pisco (lit. alcoholic beverage from Pisco), which was later shortened to just pisco. However, with the mining boom in Potosi, Bolivia, the wine and pisco consumption began to show progress by the time the first pisco was distilled.
While pisco is a Latin American liquor, the Pisco Sour is an American cocktail credited to Victor Morris, an expat bartender who made this cocktail in Lima in the 1920s. Since then, the cocktail has gained popularity that it became a staple not only in South America but also in other parts of the world where the Hispanic and Latin American culture is strong. This drink is also popular to other cultures, especially after it was served during the 2008 APEC summit in Peru.
Calories 405
Calories from fat 0 1 %DV*
Sodium 81 mg 4 %DV
Carbohydrates 68 g 25 %DV
Fiber 2 g 7 %DV
Sugar 65 g 11 %DV
Protein 5 g
*Note: Percent Daily Values are based in a 2000-calorie diet
Note: The original recipe calls for shaking with ice but some observed that dry shaking (shaking without ice) makes a more frothy cocktail.
Pisco is a very popular liquor in South America and in the United States, especially in areas with strong Spanish and Latin American culture. No wonder that there are so many pisco sour and pisco cocktails available. Let’s discover some of them.
The colorless pisco quebranta is a good backdrop for this green cocktail with a hint of mint. A good parade of colors in your Pride celebration.
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Steps to make
Add a bit of blue curacao to the classic chilcano to get this vibrant cocktail. Perfect for your Pride celebrations.
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The Chilcano is a much simpler version of the pisco sour where you just pour everything together in a glass. No shaking, no stirring needed. Just a bit of bite from the bitters
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The El Capitan closely resembles Manhattan with a taste of Peru. Acholado pisco is the best choice for the El Capitan. It can be garnished with an orange peel but most bartenders suggest green olives since the saltiness of the green olives invite you to take a sip of your cocktail.
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This pisco punch is so easy to make. No slicing of fruits. Just throw in all the juices and the pisco with the ice and you’re all set. The hardest thing to prepare here is the pineapple syrup
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Pineapple syrup
For the cocktail
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This version of the overly sweet shot Machu Picchu cocktail gives you just the right enough sugar rush and a bit of kick.
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Steps to make
For those with egg allergies, the aquafaba is a good substitute to the froth without the hives and the need for antihistamines afterwards. A good way to enjoy your classic pisco sour.
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Here’s another version of a vegan pisco sour with a delightful vegan marshmallow garnish. You can roll your marshmallow in cocoa powder for a richer aroma and taste.
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Carob is a good substitute for cocoa and chocolate for those with chocolate intolerance or if you don’t like the added sugar to make the bitter cocoa more pleasurable. Pound per pound, algarrobina syrup has less sugar than chocolate syrup, making it a good substitute. Of course, you can always substitute the algarrobina with chocolate syrup if you feel like it.
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Add more sweetness and fiber to this punch by using pineapple preserve or crushed pineapple in heavy syrup. You can always use the canned ones if you don’t want to go the extra mile to make your pineapple preserve.
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An exotic take to this Latino drink gives it a fresh taste.
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Substituting orange juice with the lemon or lime gives this cocktail a less sour taste, making it more delightful to drink.
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A combination of coconut water and pineapple juice gives this cocktail a fresh tropical taste for your summer parties.
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This cocktail is a good choice to serve during Thanksgiving, especially in states with strong Latin American and Hispanic roots.
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Another refreshingly delicious pineapple pisco sour. It’s a bit heavier than the classic pisco sour but is also a good choice for those who cannot tolerate raw eggs.
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This rich and creamy version of pisco sour with heavy tastes of tropical mango is a welcome version of the classic pisco sour.
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Steps to make
The safest choice when making liquor and food pairing is to go with dishes of the same origin as the liquor. Here, we chose Peruvian and Spanish dishes to go with your pisco cocktails.
Usually served with rice and potato fries, this beef stir-fry recipe is a good choice to serve for dinner to go with your pisco sour or pisco cocktails.
Delightfully delicious ceviche made with fresh fish and topped with chips for that modern feel. The citrus notes of the marinade makes it a perfect pair for the pisco sour.
Served with vegan garlic-cilantro sauce, fried yuca is the perfect complement for the pisco sour. Though you might want to go easy on it since the pisco sour is already heavy in calories.
If you thought mashed potatoes are the best, wait until you try this Peruvian potato-chicken layered dish that pairs perfectly well with your pisco sour.
These yummy quesadillas recipes will surely be a good choice to serve with your pisco sour and other pisco cocktails.
Pisco is made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof (60-100 proof) brandy that is either colorless or yellowish to amber. Its name hails from the town of the same name in Peru.
Yes, it can be drunk straight but experts prefer the aged Chilean pisco since it has a more rounded flavor and is best used as a digestif.
Pisco is a type of brandy made from distilling wine produced in the wine-producing areas in Chile and Peru. Brandy, in general, can be made from mash, juice or wine of grapes, fruits, or grape pomace. For example, cognac is a grape brandy from the Cognac region of France. Fruit brandies include the Framboise (raspberries), Kirsch (cherries), Slivovitz (plums), and Poire (pears). Grappa is a pomace brandy made in Italy and California.
Peru has three known varieties of pisco based on the variety of grapes and the method of distillation. The first variety is the puro which is made from one grape variety. The second variety is the acholado which is made from a blend of different kinds of grapes. The third variety is the mosto verde which is from partially fermented grapes. This is sweeter than the other varieties.
Chilean pisco, on the other hand, has three varieties that are separated by the type of aging vessels and length of aging. The youngest variety is the white which is aged for just 60 days in glass, stainless steel or ceramic vessels, or untreated wood. The second variety is the envejecido, which is aged in American and French oak barrels for 2 or more years. The de guarda is the intermediate pisco which is also aged in American and French oak barrels but for a shorter period of at least 180 days.
Currently, pisco is produced in 4 countries, each with its own pisco brands. In Chile alone, there are 14 brands, the United States has 2 and Australia has one. But the most number of brands come from Peru with a total of 59 brands. However, these are only the main brands of pisco.
Peruvian pisco is distilled in a copper pot still (used to distill liquid mixtures by heating to boil and then cooling to condense the vapor) and usually is distilled only once. The alcohol content is between 38-48 percent. Usual varieties are Quebranta, Mollar, Common Black, Muscat, Albilla, Italia, and Torontel. The Peruvian pisco can also be distilled in Lima, Inca, Arequipa, Moquegua, and Tacna. These are the only areas allowed by Peruvian laws to produce pisco.
Chilean pisco, on the other hand, has higher alcohol of 73 percent after the dilution since it is distilled as many times as the distiller wants. The bottled pisco can have an ABV of 30% for the Pisco Corriente or traditional pisco) and 43% ABV for the Gran Pisco. Chilean laws require the distilleries to grow their own grapes. Accepted grape varieties are Muscat, Torontel, Pedro Ximenez or Moscatel de Asturia.
Pisco sour and other pisco cocktails deserve a place in the cocktail scene to add to your favorite cocktails. Sure, it can take a bit of getting used to especially if you are more familiar with the regular brandy. It has a taste of sweetness and depending on the grapes used to make it, it can have the same bouquet as the wines you are used to. If you don’t have pisco, you can use grappa, a brandy made with grape pomace, although it has a more tangy taste, thanks to the grape skin in it.
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