Pisco
Unaged South American grape brandy from Peru or Chile.
Pisco is a grape brandy from Peru and Chile, distilled to proof and bottled without aging. Peruvian pisco must be made from one of eight permitted grape varieties (quebranta, italia, torontel, moscatel, and others) with no water added after distillation. Chilean pisco is distilled at lower proofs, often aged briefly in wood, and uses different grapes. In a Pisco Sour, Peruvian quebranta pisco is traditional — its grapey, floral character makes a distinctive sour. Barsol, Macchu, and Pisco Portón are reliable cocktail bottles.
History
Pisco has been distilled in the Andes since the 16th century. Peru and Chile maintain a low-simmer dispute over the spirit's national origin; both have legal protected designations.
Common uses
Pisco Sour, Pisco Punch.
Cocktails that use Pisco
- Pisco Sour — Pisco, lime, syrup, and egg white topped with Angostura bitters — Peru's national drink
Substitutes
- Brandy — A clean, unaged brandy approximates it.