Easy Peruvian Pisco Sour Cocktail

Summertime is perfect for refreshing cocktails like this Pisco Sour! Other choices for parties are this Watermelon Wine Cooler with Lime, a traditional simple margarita, or make these super-easy shortcut classic mojitos made with mint syrup.

Before I was a Lemon Drop Martini girl, and fell in love with sgroppino (an Italian Cocktail that's like a Prosecco slushie), I was a Pisco Sour girl, and it all began in Portland, Oregon.

A few years ago, my husband and I were visiting family in Portland. We kicked around ideas for dinner out, and opted for Andina - a Peruvian restaurant downtown in an old brick building. The exterior was inviting, and once inside, it was stunning. And so was the food. Andina completely excels at their small plates. The four of us shared everything with each other, and they were all solid gold. But the star of the show for me was their Pisco Sour cocktail. And every Pisco Sour since then has fallen short.

To be clear, I've had Pisco Sours in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Atlanta, and all around the town I live in on Lake Tahoe. I've had them in Santa Fe, Aspen, and Miami. I had high hopes for Miami. But no. Portland's Andina wins first prize. And no, full disclosure, I haven't tried them in Peru. I traveled to Lima and Cuzco many years ago, but that was way before my Pisco Sour phase.

So when Tamara of the Beyond Mere Sustenance blog proposed Latin American Cuisine for our Progressive Eats party theme for this month, I knew immediately what I wanted to make. Although I admit I did give some consideration to some street food empanadas I had in Ecuador a few years ago. More about them in a future post.

 

What is a Pisco Sour?

There is general agreement on the ingredients, but the amounts of each ingredient differ. Bottom line, it's according to personal preference.

A traditional Pisco Sour is generally made up of 5 ingredients:

Pisco Brandy

Simple Syrup

Lime Juice

Egg White

Amargo Bitters (order it on Amazon by clicking on the below photo, or pick up a bottle of Angostura bitters as a substitute)

 

As a sign of my commitment to you all, my husband and I tried 5 versions of Pisco Sours using these ingredients by varying the amounts of Pisco, lime juice, and bitters. The egg white and simple syrup stayed the same in all 5 versions. The version I'm sharing here was our favorite, #5.

 

Pisco Sour Controversy

Strong opinions rage all over the internet about various elements of a Pisco Sour. Peruvians take their Pisco Brandy and Pisco Sours very seriously.

First, lemon juice vs lime juice. If you've ever been to Peru, you know that lemons are difficult if not impossible to find there, even in the upscale Miraflores neighborhood of Lima. Instead there is a Peruvian fruit that resembles limes called limón, the Spanish word for lemon. All my research indicated they are unique in their flavor profile, and their flavor is more rounded and broad than even our Key Limes (although Andina's uses a final squeeze of key limes as a finishing touch).

Second, both Peru and Chile claim to be the original producers of Pisco Brandy and both claim Pisco as their national drink. Peruvian Pisco is not the same as the sweeter Chilean version. The Pisco I use is Pisco Portón, Mosto Verde, produced in Peru by the Hacienda La Caravedo since 1684.  Mosto Verde is one of four categories of Pisco that is commercially sold.

Third, many people swear by Amargo Chuncho Bitters (click on the above photo to check it out), and say it's worth the effort of procuring. I, however, took the easier route of using Angostura Bitters, because I had a bottle handy. However, I confess I am curious about Amargo, and am ordering a bottle to compare them.

 

My Pisco Sour Cocktail, Inspired by Andina

So, in respect to the strength of national pride for authentic Pisco Sours on the part of Peruvians, and likely Chileans, I will represent this Pisco Sour as inspired by the fabulous Andina (Peruvian) Restaurant in Portland.

 

Tips for Making a Pisco Sour Cocktail

Even if you're making only one, I recommend using an immersion blender. All the recipes I saw had you shaking them up in a martini shaker thing, but (a) I don't have one and (b) when I tried to duplicate it using a jar, it wore me out, and the foam was unimpressive.

My immersion blender came with a deep plastic cup, and I found it perfect for making these cocktails. It only took 10 - 15 seconds, depending on the size of my batch.

You can make them ahead, earlier in the day, for a party and keep it refrigerator in the cup that comes with the hand blender. When guests start arriving, whip it up with the hand blender and pour into individual glasses. Finish with the bitters at the very end, just before serving.

To make a nice swirl on the top of the drink, drag the pointy end of a knife through the droplet of bitters in a swirl.

Mine is an older version of this one, made by KitchenAid (pictured below). Seriously, you can't go wrong with KitchenAid. It's great for all kinds of sauces, smoothies, and soups, and has lasted for years.

If you're looking for more end of summer drink ideas, here are some great ones that have been solid gold at my parties:

My Frozen Mudslides, pictured below, and my favorite Italian dessert drink, Sgroppino, made with lemon sorbet, Prosecco, and vodka. Oh my.

This post contains affiliate links, which help support the cost of this blog. If you purchase anything using these links, there is no additional cost to you.