While pisco may seem like an exciting, up and coming spirit, it has actually been around since the 1500s. There seems to be an ongoing international discontent between Chili and Peru as to who first created pisco. However, the the city/port of Pisco, Peru is believed to be the origin of the spirit and bears the name “Pisco.” The show Three Sheets with Zane Lamprey actually dedicated an episode to this very topic and travels to Chile to explore the history and the drink.
Known as the “5th white spirit,” pisco is best consumed traditionally, as a cocktail of the “sour” family. Lime juice, simple syrup, dash of egg whites and bitters is a unique (and potent) Peruvian recipe dating back 100 years. Peru was the only place you could indulge in such a glorious concoction up until recently as pisco has been re-introduced to the U.S. market since Prohibition.
While this distinctive spirit still has a ways to go before it reaches mainstream status,the newly-launched Pisco Portón is the first truly premium pisco available in the U.S. and makes for the ultimate Pisco Sour. As the white spirit’s category equivalent of single-malt scotch, it combines centuries-old methods with state-of-the-art and eco-friendly technology “to create a mosto verde pisco of unmatched quality.”
In designating Febuary 4th as National Pisco Sour day, you can use this random excuse to try this amazing Peruvian spirit. Ride the gastronomic wave of Peru-mania which has been cited as one of the biggest foodie trends in 2012 by several major sources.
Try a traditional Pisco Sour at The Stone Rose Lounge – located inside the Sofitel in Beverly Hills or a more unique version at Comme Ca on Melrose in West Hollywood.
Or....
Pick up a bottle of Pisco Porton for $34.99 at the Beverage Warehouse in Los Angeles and make them yourself.
Traditional Portón Pisco Sour
- 1 ½ parts Pisco Portón
- ½ part fresh lime juice
- ½ part simple syrup
- ¼ part egg white
Shake ingredients with ice. Strain into chilled glass. Garnish with a dash of bitters.
Portón Lavender Pisco Sour
By Yuval Soffer
- 2 oz. Pisco Portón
- ¾ oz. Lemon
- 3/4 oz. Lavender extract*
- 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
- Lavender infused egg's egg-white*
- Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Dry shake and whip all first 5 ingredients then shake with Ice. Strain into a coup and garnish with chocolate bitters and a lavender leaf.
To infuse the eggs: In a sealed jar, place the eggs alongside some potent lavender flowers. Keep the symbiosis refrigerated 2 to 4 days. I would recommend testing the eggs regularly every day because the interaction will change the consistency of the egg white and would make it harder to work with after an extensive period of time.
To extract lavender: Fill half a container with dry lavender flowers and then top the container with boiling water. let the flowers sit 15 - 20 minutes until the color turns into a very dark purple. Strain the flowers out and add a bit of simple syrup to smooth out the bitterness on the finish. Don't add too much simple! You don't want to make this extraction sweet. Different cocktails will require different levels of sweetness which can be found simply by adding right amount of the sweet component.
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