Average
Sweet & Sour
4 minutes
Rocks Glass
Ingredients
The Pisco Sour is a classic sour cocktail that dates back more than a hundred years. The drink originates from Peru and is a staple in both Peruvian and Chilean culinary traditions.
So adored is the Pisco Sour that Pisco Sour Day was established by the Peruvian government in 2003 and is celebrated on the first Saturday of February. Cheers to that!
Like other cocktails in the sour family, the Pisco Sour is a shaken cocktail that combines fresh lemon juice and sugar together with egg whites for that all-important foam and delightful mouthfeel. But what separates the Pisco Sour apart is the use of the South American spirit, Pisco.
How to Make a pisco sour cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
Citrus Press
Twist Knife
How to Mix
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Fill the smaller tin of your Boston shaker with ice cubes.
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Crack an egg and separate the egg whites from the yolk. Add the egg whites to the shaker tin.
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Cut your lemon(s) in half then use a citrus elbow (or citrus press) to extract lemon juice. Use a jigger (or other measuring instrument) to measure and pour lemon juice into the shaker tin.
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Measure and pour pisco into the shaker.
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Measure and add simple syrup.
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Seal your shaker by connecting the two tins together and shake vigorously until the shaker is frosty on the outside.
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Separate the shaker tins, place a Hawthorne strainer over the larger tin and strain the cocktail into the smaller tin. Discard the ice. Add ice cubes to a pre-chilled rocks glass.
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Place the Hawthorne strainer over the smaller shaker tin and pour the cocktail directly into the glass, forming a foamy head.
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Finish with a few dashes of aromatic bitters on top of the foam.
Watch how to make a Pisco Sour cocktail
All about the Pisco Sour
Pisco Sour is a classic cocktail that belongs to the sour family of cocktails and uses the native South American spirit, pisco as its base together with lemon juice, simple syrup and egg whites.
Like all classic sours, the Pisco Sour perfectly balances sweet and sour flavors. Tangy lemon juice intertwines with the sweetness from simple syrup, while Pisco adds its distinct fruity and floral notes. The egg whites create a sumptuous foam, delivering an incredible mouthfeel and a fantastic drink experience.
It’s said that the Pisco Sour, as we know it today, was created in the early 1920s in Lima, Peru, by an American bartender. However, it’s believed that pisco-based drinks may have been made as early as the 1700s.
When discussing the history of any sour, you really have to go back to the Whiskey Sour. The first record of a Sour cocktail appears in 1856, with the Whiskey Sour being one of the earliest.
The recipe for a classic sour consists of a base spirit (e.g. gin, vodka, pisco), citrus (e.g. lemon or lime juice), and sweetener (e.g. simple syrup, agave etc.). While the Whiskey Sour may have been the original, the “Sour family of cocktails” has evolved over time to include countless sour variations, including the Pisco Sour.
- Pre-chill your glassware
Place your rocks glass in the freezer 30 minutes before mixing your drink and take it out just after you’ve finished shaking. It’s a simple touch but it makes a big difference to the overall drink experience. - Wet shake, followed by a dry shake
When making any sour, Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador recommends starting with a wet shake followed by a dry shake. And it’s a great tip.
This means shaking the cocktail ingredients with ice, then straining out the ice and shaking again without ice. By doing this, you also eliminate the need for fine straining, since you’ve already removed the ice. This way, you can just pour the cocktail directly into your glass.
You could say all sours are riffs on the original Whiskey Sour. Simply swap out the spirit base for another, and voilà, you’ve got a new sour! For instance, use vodka instead of pisco for a Vodka Sour, or switch vodka for gin to create a Gin Sour. You get the idea!
- Use aquafaba instead of egg white
If you prefer not to use egg whites in your sour, aquafaba is a fantastic substitute. Made from the water or brine of cooked chickpeas, aquafaba can be used in the same quantity as egg whites – 10 ml of egg white equals 10 ml of aquafaba. It’s that simple! Check out this article on aquafaba and how to use it in your cocktails.
- As is tradition for sours, we recommend serving the Pisco Sour in a pre-chilled rocks glass filled with ice cubes.
- In our drink recipe, we skip the garnish. However, if you want to garnish your Pisco Sour, a classic lemon wedge is a solid choice. Want something more? A fresh cherry or maraschino cherry is a perfect touch.
- Like all sours, finish your Pisco Sour with a couple of dashes of aromatic bitters atop the foam.
Pisco Sour FAQ
Pisco is a grape brandy from South America, distilled from fermented grape juice. It’s also the national spirit of both Peru and Chile and can be enjoyed neat or in cocktails – the most famous being the Pisco Sour, of course!
The only difference is the spirit base – a Whiskey Sour is made with whiskey, while a Pisco Sour is made with – you guessed it – pisco! Both spirits have their own distinct characteristics, resulting in very different tastes for each drink.
A vigorous shake and egg whites – or aquafaba – are key. You want to give your cocktail a really good, hard shake (approx. 10 seconds) to achieve a pillowy foam that’s the envy of everyone in the room.
