I was looking for a new autumn cocktail and came across the wonderful Autumn Leaves from Pisco Portón. It’s refreshing, warming, and aromatic. The very first sip transports you to a cold autumn forest filled with the sharp scent of falling leaves.
Pisco Portón is a high-quality Peruvian pisco produced at the oldest distillery in the Americas, Hacienda La Caravedo. Naturally, the main component of the cocktail is pisco. You can read more about what pisco is and its variations here. Pisco brings fresh floral and fruity aromas to the drink. The recipe, of course, recommends Pisco Portón, but you can use any good-quality Peruvian pisco or an unaged or lightly aged Chilean pisco. I used a young Chilean Capel. Some suggest using cognac, Armagnac, or sherry brandy as a substitute for pisco, reasoning that one type of brandy can replace another. I don’t think that’s correct. Unlike pisco, all the brandies mentioned above are made from low-aromatic grape varieties and are aged in oak. Their key aromas differ noticeably from young pisco, resulting in a completely different cocktail. For the same reason, it’s best not to use aged Chilean pisco. If necessary, you could use grappa, but pisco is still the better option.
The second component is Drambuie—a liqueur made with Scotch whisky, honey, and spices (more about Drambuie here). It adds sweetness along with honeyed and herbal notes.
The third component is Campari (more on that in the Negroni story). It provides a layer of herbal bitterness.
And finally, lime juice brings a balancing touch of acidity. I substituted lime with lemon and found I liked it even more.
The recipe
Ingredients:
•1 oz / 30 ml Pisco
•1 oz / 30 ml Drambuie
•1/4 oz / 7 ml Campari
•1/4 oz / 7 ml Lime Juice
Process:
Pour all the ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice cubes. Stir, then strain into chilled glasses.
Garnish: orange wheel and lime (or lemon) zest
Drinkware: cocktail glass
I should add that there is another cocktail with the same name, created by Jeffrey Morgenthaler. It uses completely different ingredients; the only similarity is the name.
