On the Trail of Pisco Sour

Generally speaking, Latin American Cocktails utilize the same principal ingredients ? limejuice, sugar and a hearty portion of the local spirit. Along the same lines Peru?s national cocktail, the Pisco Sour, combines limejuice, sugar and Pisco (a white brandy) with egg white and a few drops of Angostura Bitters for aroma and balance. With plans of spending time in Peru, I was looking forward to revisiting this libation in the capital city. After checking into the hotel, I walked directly to the Bar Cordano for a late lunch. Upon entering my friend, manager Don Odilon, came to join me and share the news. A 10-day exhibition on the history of Pisco Sour was in full swing. He made a gift of the event poster and suggested I have Hector, the barman, sign it. Hector is a relative newcomer with only 21 years working behind the bar. With his signature, the idea was born to seek out the signatures of the maestros of Pisco Sour, the old guard, those who keep tradition alive.

Let?s flesh out the Pisco Sour story somewhat; the creator, Victor V. Morris, was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. His brother Richard P. Morris was SLC mayor, 1904-1905. In 1903 before his brother would go on to win the election, Morris left to work in Peru with a railroad company. There he made the first Pisco Sour as a replacement for Whiskey Sour (whiskey not being readily available in Peru at that time). His true innovation was adding egg white and bitters to the mix. The results were so enjoyable that in little time the Pisco Sour became the emblematic national cocktail and continues to be held high as a matter of patriotic pride. It is so good that the Chileans, also, claim the cocktail as theirs. But that is a score best left to them.

Thrilled! I had four days in Lima, 2 pens, travel dairy and a camera. Also armed with a signed poster, a list of iconic bars and old bartenders; I began to make my way through the city. First stop, the Bar Maury looking for Eloy Cuadros. He has 47 years experience and most of those years were spent at the Maury. I ordered a Pisco Sour and explained my mission. He laughed and signed the poster willingly. Pointing to a jovial group, he confided that his friend Jorge Kanashiro with 50 years as a barman was right there. Eloy introduced me to Jorge; who extended an invitation to join his table. Yet another signature. I spent an hour receiving a detailed lesson in the history of Pisco. In addition, he taught me that a Pisco Sour made with granulated sugar is grainy, better made with bar syrup to achieve a silky viscosity which never leaves a residue of sugar at the bottom of the glass.

It was mentioned by the curator sitting at the table that Maestro Jorge Kanashiro (winner of the 1994 International Bar-tending Competition in Venice, Italy and who also appeared in a Dutch feature film) was to be the exhibition?s keynote speaker the following day. He asked me to attend with him.

Next afternoon after the speeches, we taxied to Bar Queirolo on Quilca Street. The Queirolo has been a fixture on the social scene in Lima since 1880. They serve a full traditional menu but emphasis is on the Pisco they produce. Jorge?s friend is the barman. Another signature. Getting together yet again for lunch the following day, we were off to the Bar Hotel Bolivar, which has open-air seating with a view of the Plaza San Martin. It is rumored that Ernest Hemingway holds the record there, for most Pisco Sours consumed in one sitting. Jorge?s friend is the barman. Another signature. Each barman had suggestions as to our next stop. We followed the path and sought out locations in the city center and in the neighborhoods of San Isidro and Miraflores collecting signatures all along the way.

We sipped and ate in every location on the list and then some. And now the poster is fully signed by maestros of Pisco Sour. This type of cultural experience is invaluable. So approachable are the people of Lima that we chatted freely with many, from all stations of life - judges to students to dockworkers. In four intensely social days, I was just beginning to peek into the real Lima and know the significance of Pisco Sour in Peruvian life. However, I had a strong feeling that further investigation was best left to a future visit. My four days spent, I needed to leave Lima.

Years ago, prior to a devastating earthquake on Aug 15th 2007, I visited the town of Pisco (where the bulk of Pisco Brandy is produced) and loved it. Since that catastrophic day in August just over two years ago, I had wanted to return to the epicenter of Pisco and see how they had fared. I traveled south by bus. I arrived again through rows and rows of grapevines not unlike any roadside vista in wine country. Sitting in the shade, sipping a Pisco Sour and speaking with the locals, an elderly man told me that in the quake they?d lost 500 neighbors and important historic buildings; ?All the loss is very, very sad; but the grape is forever?.

I echo his sentiment. And by extension, I believe that Pisco Sour is forever.

Pisco Sour Recipe by Jorge Kanashiro ? Makes two cocktails

4oz Pisco Brandy
2oz Lime Juice
1/2oz Bar Syrup
1 Egg White
1 or 2 Dash(es) of Bitters

Shake ingredients vigorously with ice (or use blender). Strain into stemmed glassware; add bitters to taste.