The Five Shades of Pisco
It seems innocent enough, clear and often sweetly aromatic like wine. But at 80 proof or so, don’t be fooled by this lush Latin import: there’s a lot more to pisco than punches and sours.
Pisco is made from only certain varieties of grapes, which are fermented and distilled into a potent aguardiente. It is a potent South American brandy with a storied history and a passionate following. Until recently, most of the pisco available was only so-so. But with Peru and Chile striving to produce better bottles, and new high-quality, handcrafted versions available (one even made here in the West), bartenders are riffing on the classics and creating drinks with pisco-inspired panache. Drink it on its own, or shake up one of our originals:
Pisco Sunset
Ingredients
- 2 slices cucumber, plus more slices for garnish
- 1/4 cup pomegranate juice
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons pisco
- 2 drops Angostura bitters
Preparation
- Muddle cucumber, pomegranate juice, orange juice, agave nectar, lime juice, and a pinch of kosher salt in a cocktail shaker.
- Fill with ice and add pisco and bitters. Shake and strain into 2 martini glasses. Garnish each drink with a cucumber slice.
Pisco Sour
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (2 oz.) pisco
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoon pasteurized egg whites
Preparation
- In a blender, whirl 3 ice cubes, pisco, sugar, fresh lime juice, and egg whites.
- Whirl until smooth (you’ll no longer hear the ice cracking against the side of the blender) and serve straight up in a martini glass with a dash of aromatic bitters and a wedge of lime.
Pisco Negroni
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons pisco
- 1/4 cup Campari
- 1/4 cup sweet vermouth
- 8 drops orange bitters
- Orange twists for garnish
Preparation
- Combine pisco, Campari, vermouth, and bitters.
- Divide between 2 highball glasses filled with ice. Garnish with orange twists.
West-Fresh Pisco Sour
Ingredients
- 10 large mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- 6 tablespoons pisco
- 2 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites
Preparation
- Muddle mint leaves, lime juice, and agave nectar in a cocktail shaker.
- Add ice, pisco, and egg whites and shake very vigorously at least 20 seconds.
- Strain into 2 cups. Garnish with mint sprigs.
Pisco 75
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons pisco
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons simple syrup
- 2 tablespoons blackberry liqueur
- 4 to 6 tbsp. chilled sparkling wine
- Fresh blackberries for garnish
Preparation
- Shake pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into 2 flutes.
- Drizzle 1 tbsp. blackberry liqueur down inside of each flute, then pour in each flute 2 to 3 tbsp. chilled sparkling wine over the back of a spoon.
- Garnish with blackberries.
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