Pisco Sour
Ingredients
- Pisco 2 oz
- Lemon Juice 1 oz
- Sugar 1-2 tblsp
- Ice 1
- Egg White 1
Instructions
Vigorously shake and strain contents in a cocktail shaker with ice cubes, then pour into glass and garnish with bitters.
The Pisco Sour is the national cocktail of both Peru and Chile, made with pisco, fresh lemon juice, sugar, ice, and egg white, vigorously shaken to create a characteristic frothy head traditionally finished with a dash of Angostura Bitters. An IBA New Era drink, it is celebrated for its unique identity as one of the few cocktails built around pisco, the South American grape brandy. The egg white foam is a defining textural element that sets it apart from other sours.
History & Origins
The Pisco Sour was created by American bartender Victor Vaughen Morris, who opened Morris' Bar in Lima, Peru in 1916, and developed the recipe by the early 1920s as an adaptation of the Whiskey Sour he had made in the United States. The drink was later refined by his Peruvian apprentice Mario Bruiget who added egg white and Angostura Bitters. Both Peru and Chile claim the drink as their national cocktail, with Chile having its own variation using Chilean pisco, making the precise national ownership of the recipe an ongoing cultural dispute.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Floral and grapey pisco, fresh lemon citrus, and a light aromatic spice from the Angostura garnish. Palate: A clean, balanced sour with the distinctive floral-grape character of pisco providing a flavour unlike any other base spirit, lemon juice delivering bright acidity, sugar balancing the tartness, and the egg white foam adding a luxurious silky texture. Finish: Clean, lightly sweet, and citrusy with a warming pisco grape character and bitters spice.
Pro Tip
Dry shake the egg white alone first to begin the emulsification, then add the remaining ingredients with ice for a second shake, producing a thicker, more stable foam head.
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