Video about Pisco Sour on my YouTube channel.
I already discussed Pisco, the South American brandy, which has been at the center of international debates between Peru and Chile. Both countries assert Pisco as their national spirit.
Adding to the conflict, both countries lay claims to Pisco Sour, the most popular cocktail based on Pisco. Peru considers it to be Peruvian national cocktail, while Chile insists that Pisco Sour belongs to Chile.
Here I’ll delve into this controversial topic: Pisco Sour.
Pisco Sour belongs, as its name suggests, to the eldest Sour family of cocktails that have graced bars since the 19th century.
Sours can trace their ancestry back to punch, a beloved party beverage dating to the early 17th century. Punch, often associated with mixed drinks combining alcohol, fruit juice, or fruit pieces, is traditionally served in a voluminous punch bowl, from which everyone poured the drink into their personal cups. Sours, one might say, are punch’s à la carte version, tailored for individual consumption. These cocktails find their early mention in the influential book “How to Mix Drinks” by Jerry Thomas, an iconic person in American mixology, published in 1862.
Sours are characterized by their composition of a base spirit, fruit juice, and sweetener. Initially, these contained just a hard liquor, lemon or lime juice, and sweetener. However, as the cocktail landscape evolved, the spectrum of ingredients, in both the juice and alcohol categories, expanded, often accommodating additional elements. Numerous sours, including the Pisco Sour, are cherished in the official repertoire of the International Bartender Association.
The Pisco Sour made its debut in the early 1920s, thanks to Victor Vaughen Morris, an American expatriate who transitioned from his role as a cashier for an American railway company to the owner of Morris’ Bar in Lima, Peru. This bar swiftly gained popularity among English-speaking expatriates and rich Peruvians. Morris’s Pisco Sour was a modification of the well-known Whiskey Sour, a cocktail traditionally containing whiskey, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Morris infused local flair into the drink, substituting whiskey with Pisco and lemon with lime. The original Pisco Sour recipe involved blending Pisco, lime juice, and simple syrup over ice.
In the late 1920s, Peruvian bartender Mario Bruiget, who had worked at Morrison’s Bar, elevated the cocktail to its contemporary form, incorporating egg whites and Angostura, a Venezuelan bitter. When Morrison’s Bar shuttered due to its owner’s declining health, Mario Bruiget continued to serve his refined Pisco Sour variation in a prominent Lima hotel. Other bartenders from Morrison’s Bar ventured to different places, each playing a role in spreading the Pisco Sour in the world. The cocktail made its way to California in the 1930s and to New York in the 1960s. Today, the Pisco Sour recieves global acclaim, and Peruvians cherish it as their celebrity.
Since 2004, Peru celebrates National Pisco Sour Day on first Saturday of February. In 2007, Pisco Sour received the official title of a cultural treasure of Peru.
Chile, however, much like its stance on Pisco, regards the Pisco Sour as its own national libation and even lays claim to its invention in Chile a half-century earlier than in Peru. While the accuracy of this story remains unverified, it doesn’t stop Chileans from making their claim.
The first time I tried Pisco Sour was in Chile, where it served virtually everywhere.
Three principal recipes of Pisco Sour are presently recognized:
Peruvian: Peruvian Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, egg whites, and Angostura bitters.
Chilean: Chilean Pisco (not aged in oak), lime juice, powdered sugar (typically not including egg whites and Angostura bitters).
International Bartender Association Recipe: Any Pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg whites.
Also, there are variants of the Pisco Sour with other fruit juices and other sweeteners.
For my version, I’ve crafted a hybrid drawing from the three main recipes, utilizing Chilean Pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white.
Recipe
Ingredients:
-60 ml (2 oz) Pisco
-30 ml (1 oz) Fresh Lime Juice
-15 ml (0.5 oz) Simple Syrup (the recipe below)
-1 Raw Egg White
Process:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice cubes. Shake vigorously and strain into a chilled glass. Optionally, garnish with a few drops of Angostura bitters.
Drinkware:
Traditionally served in an old-fashioned or goblet glass, it’s increasingly presented in a champagne flute.
Bring one cup of water to a boil, stirring in one cup of plain granulated sugar. Lower the heat and stir continuously until the sugar completely dissolves. Let it cool, pour into a clean glass jar, and store in the refrigerator.
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