Pisco Sour

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Facts at a glance
Pisco Sour
Pisco Sour from Peru
Type: Cocktail
Primary alcohol by volume:
Served: "Straight up"; without ice
Standard drinkware:
Champagne flute
Commonly used ingredients:
Preparation: Shake hard with ice and strain into flute. The bitters are an aromatic garnish topping the finished drink.
Information from the Pisco Sour recipe at DrinkBoy


A Pisco Sour is a cocktail from Peru which contains Pisco (a regional brandy made of Quebranta or Muscat grapes), lemon (green or yellow depending on personal preference), egg whites, simple syrup, and regional bitters (like Amargo bitters, though Angostura bitters work if regional bitters are unavailable.[1]

Contents

[edit] Culture

Both Peru and Chile claim Pisco Sour as their national drink. It is the subject of heated debates, media coverage, and national pride.[2]

With the increased availability of Pisco and regional bitters outside South America, the Pisco Sour, like the Mojito and Caipirinha, has increased in popularity in the United States.

[edit] Historical Debates

The roots of Pisco itself reach back to the 1500s and stem from Colonial rule. The Spaniards brought the grape to the region from Europe, but the King of Spain banned wine in the 17th Century, forcing Peruvians to concoct a different kind of alcohol from the grape.[3]

There are at least two common variations concerning the creation of this drink:

[edit] Chile

In Chile, the birth of the Pisco Sour is attributed to the English steward of a sailing ship named "Sunshine".[citation needed] In 1872, Elliot Stubb obtained leave to disembark in the port of Iquique, a Peruvian city in those days, with the aim of settling in the city and opening a bar. In the bar which he established, he experimented with many aperitifs and drinks, of which a fundamental ingredient was the limon de pica, a small lime grown in the area.

In order to offer new varieties of alcoholic beverages, the Englishman experimented with many combinations, trying to create pleasant drinks. One day, Stubb mixed pisco with his most valued ingredient, lime, and added a good dose of sugar. Fascinated by the delicious result, he made it the specialty of the house, and dubbed it "sour" for the acid touch which the lime gives it.[4] This bar closed before the Pacific War in 1879.

The Pisco Sour spread to social clubs and bars throughout the port of Iquique, and from there it spread through the country and beyond.

[edit] Peru

In the early 1920s, the Pisco Sour cocktail was first produced at "Bar Morris" located at Calle Boza 847, Jiron de la Union, Lima.[citation needed] It was enjoyed by a few at first, but the cocktail soon became the favorite of locals and international guests of the Hotel Bolivar and Maury (upscale hotels of that time), which helped the drink gain its current international recognition.

From "Mundial" magazine - Nº 52 - by Jose Julian Perez, April 22, 1921 (translated from the Spanish):

"Speaking about the kitsch and the creole"
"Caressing a glass, which white-ish contents was managed to concoct one of the best disciples of Mr. Morris, the popular owner of the bar located in Boza street, you could find Perez taking good care of a group of his friends, at the climax of the cocktail hour of any given day."
"Perez, after drinking several Pisco Sours, one after another, finally claims victorious: - The kitsch! The creole! This is the healthy joy and the real fun, Let´s prove it"

[edit] See also

Drink topics
Regional topics

[edit] References

  1. ^ Goode, JJ. Cocktail of the month. Epicurious. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  2. ^ From The Economist print edition (2006-08-24). Pisco sour The Economist Newspaper. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  3. ^ Daulerio, A.J. & Eric Gillin (2004-02-19). Throw Yourself a Pisco Party. The Black Table. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
  4. ^ TurismoChile.com. "Pisco in Chile". Retrieved 2006-12-22.

[edit] External links

  • Go2Peru.com - Tourism site with information about Peruvian Pisco along with a recipe.
  • Food Network - A less traditional recipe that uses ingredients more common outside Peru and Chile.
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