Discover 6 Delicious Cocktails Based On Peruvian Pisco
Peruvian pisco is one of those wonderful drinks that humans have created over the centuries. It is a grape distillate with a strong alcohol content, similar to Spanish pomace. Historically, it has been handcrafted with the use of large copper stills and stored in chombas, large clay jars.
However, little by little, this popular drink has been industrializing. In fact, today its production is the economic base of many of the coastal regions of Peru.
Origin of Peruvian pisco
Its origin is located in the city of Pisco in the department of Ica, in central Peru. However, it is also manufactured in many locations on the Peruvian coast. In it you can see kilometers and kilometers of vineyards and the tourist routes through these plantations and distilleries is one of the activities that attract the most attention.
Peruvian pisco-based cocktails
The use of pisco in the kitchen is very varied and for decades it has become the basis of the most delicious cocktails you can imagine. What are the ones you should try? Here we show you.
1. Pisco sour
The pisco-based cocktail par excellence. In fact, it is declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation and has its own day of celebration: Pisco Sour Day. This day, the main squares of all cities are filled with stalls tasting this delicious cocktail.
This cocktail was created in 1920 in the city of Lima, at the Morris Bar, which was located in Jirón de la Unión. It was inspired by the whiskey sour cocktail, hence the name given to the preparation. It is made with pisco, egg white, lime juice, sugar or gum syrup, crushed ice and a few drops of angostura bitters.
2. Chilcano
It seems that its preparation predates that of the pisco sour and owes its name to the restorative properties attributed to it, as well as to the fish broth of the same name.
Perhaps its origin is in a drink called buon giorno that the Italian immigrants who arrived in Peru drank. This was made from grappa (grape brandy) and ginger ale, although later they changed the grappa for Peruvian pisco.
Pisco sour is said to be drunk as an aperitif drink, while chilcano has a refreshing function. It is prepared with pisco, lime juice, ginger ale, sugar, angostura bitters and crushed ice.
3. Captain
Another of the classics of Peruvian cocktails. It emerged in the 1920s and takes its name from its main consumers at that time : the captains of the Peruvian army, who asked for it after making the rounds. It is also known as the Peruvian manhattan and is made with pisco, red vermouth, a cherry for decoration and crushed ice.
4. Aguaymanto
It is also the name of the fruit with which it is made. It is considered one of the favorite fruits of the Incas, so much so that they say that the gardens of the nobles always had an aguaymanto tree due to its magnificent properties.
Its appearance is that of a small orange fruit, similar to grapes, but covered with fine leaves. It is originally from Peru and its juice is the base to make this cocktail with a sweet and pleasant flavor. Thus, the aguaymanto cocktail is made by mixing pisco, aguaymanto juice, sugar or gum syrup, coconut cream and crushed ice.
5. Cholopolitan, the cosmopolitan with Peruvian pisco
It is the Peruvian version of the cosmopolitan, devised by Gastón Acurio and Astrid Gutsche for their Astrid & Gastón de Lima restaurant. Thus, vodka is substituted for Peruvian pisco, preferably green. Cranberry juice, Cointreau, lime juice, sugar and crushed ice are added. An ideal combination to taste as an aperitif before the Peruvian ceviche.
6. Algarrobina
Finally, we recommend that you try the algarrobina cocktail, a cocktail that features pisco and this syrup derived from the carob fruit. It is made by mixing pisco, evaporated milk, carob, egg yolk, sugar, crushed ice and cinnamon.
