Pisco sour
| Cocktail | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Pisco Sour | |
| Type | Cocktail |
| Base spirit | |
| Served | Straight up: chilled, without ice |
| Standard drinkware | Old fashioned glass |
| Commonly used ingredients |
|
| Preparation | Shake hard or blend with ice and strain into glass. The bitters are an aromatic garnish topping the finished drink, put on top of pisco sour foam. |
| Recipe adapted from The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan | |
A Pisco Sour is a cocktail where national origin is debated if from Chile or Peru.[1] The drink contains Pisco (a regional brandy), lemon juice, egg whites, simple syrup, and regional bitters (like Amargo bitters, though Angostura bitters work if regional bitters are unavailable).[2] In Peru, the variety of lemon used has a flavor similar to key lime. Because of this, some recipes call for the use of lime juice rather than lemon juice. In the United States, the drink is usually made with commonly available Lisbon or Eureka lemons.
Culture
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. Peru has a National Pisco Sour Day which is celebrated on every first Saturday of February. Chile's Pisco National Day is celebrated on May 15th.[3][4]
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.[5]
There are at least two common variations concerning the creation of this drink:
Peru
In the early 1920s, the Pisco Sour cocktail was 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"
See also
- Drink topics
- Regional topics
References
- ^ http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-cocktail21-2008may21,0,4918724.story
- ^ Goode, JJ. Cocktail of the month. Epicurious. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
- ^ Template:Es icon http://www.chile.com/tpl/articulo/detalle/ver.tpl?cod_articulo=99895
- ^ Template:Es icon http://noticias.aol.com/articulos/_a/chile-instauran-el-dia-nacional-del/n20080515171009990029
- ^ Daulerio, A.J. & Eric Gillin (2004-02-19). Throw Yourself a Pisco Party. The Black Table. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
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.