The Pisco Sour

Cool drink. Hot debate.

After a day of cycling along the stunning beaches of Chile’s Central Coast and landing in the little fishing village of Duao, ExperiencePlus! riders found one pisco sour recipe in particular that might be worth testing out as warm weather approaches.

“My wife Laurie and I rode the 8-day “*Bicycling Chile’s Wine Country” trip last October and loved it. Our tour leader was Juan Pablo Mansilla and the whole tour team did a fabulous job. On the last day of our 8-day trip we stayed at Hosteria Donde Gilberto. It was a beautiful hotel on the ocean. That evening Juan arranged for the hotel bar manager to give the group a demonstration of how to make Pisco Sours. They were probably the best Pisco Sours we had on the trip.” – Jeff Stroud

*We considered calling this tour “Bicycling Chile’s Wine Country Plus Pisco’s if the Mood Suits You,” but felt it was a tad much.

Pisco, the staple ingredient of a pisco sour, is a South American brandy made from white grapes. Peru and Chile both claim this refreshing, sweet-and-sour cocktail as their national beverage resulting in an ongoing debate between the two countries over the drink’s origin and who makes the best version.

Differing production methods make each country’s variety of pisco unique in their taste. A notable difference between the Chilean and Peruvian production process is that Chile allows pisco to be aged in wood barrels, this adds a touch of earthiness to its taste and can also create a darker tone to the often clear alcohol. The Chilean production process also allows the addition of water to achieve a desired alcohol content. (Peruvian production requires pisco to be distilled to proof, prohibiting it to be produced with higher alcohol content and then diluted.)

A traditional Chilean Pisco Sour is a blend of pisco, ice and lime, while the Peruvian variety includes bitters and egg whites (for foam).

While the argument over which country makes the best pisco sour might never be settled, but ExperiencePlus! riders found one take on this controversial cocktail that is worth putting to the test.

Pisco Sour from Hosteria Donde Gilberto:

Ingredients

2 parts of pisco (35 % alcohol)

1 part of lime juice

Ice (healthy scoop)

Powdered sugar – to taste (less is more)

Egg white (optional – use if you want foam)

Instructions

1) Combine ingredients in a blender

2) Enjoy!