Cocktail Craze: The Pisco Sour

Our last pisco sour production. This was taken when my parents visited us in in San Francisco. Left to right: Me, Derek and my dad, whose family also lived in Peru when he a young boy.

My husband Derek and I love Pisco Sours—in fact it’s our favorite cocktail. Derek lived in Peru for a year, bartending in Lima for awhile, mastering the technique for this traditional drink that utilizes the Peruvian brandy, pisco. According to Derek, he was ultimately able to make a pisco sour to the standards of the natives after much trial and error—no small feat for a gringo. I wanted to share our recipe and story with you, noticing that Peruvian cuisine is becoming more fashionable here in Northern California, particularly since the recent opening of the Pisco Latin Lounge in San Francisco and the recent arrival of Montesirpe Pisco here at K&L. Pisco Sour 2 parts Montesirpe Pisco 1 part lime juice .75 part simple syrup one egg white Shake with very little ice or blend. Top with cinnamon. Note: Other recipes call for a garnish of bitters instead of cinnamon, but Derek says that cinnamon is what they use in Lima. —Chiara Shannon