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Cocktail History
The Pisco Sour is a classic cocktail that is most often credited to Vaughen Morris, an American bartender who moved to Lima, Peru in the early 1900s to work at a railway company but ended up opening his own bar. It is said that he created the recipe as an alternative to the Whiskey Sour by using Pisco, a Peruvian brandy distilled from wine distilled from muscat grapes planted by Spanish colonists, as its base and pairing it with simple syrup, citrus, and egg.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Pisco: This is a type of brandy made in Peru or Chile with fermented grape juice. We used Capel Pisco Premium Liqueur because it has a high quality flavor with notes of spice and herbs. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the Pisco.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. We used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Egg White: This is the clear liquid in an egg. We used fresh egg whites because they add a rich, silky smooth texture.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Orange Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
Tasting Notes
The Pisco Sour features aroma of pisco and citrus, tastes like pisco balanced by the sourness, and has a thick mouthfeel thanks to the egg white.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Overall, we both liked this drink and would make it again! It’s frothy and flavorful. Kendall thought it tasted a bit like lime, which is odd since there’s none in the recipe. And Alex thought the Pisco Sour was much lighter and airier compared to the Whiskey Sour, another favorite of his.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
Add pisco, simple syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a sour glass.
Garnish with three drops orange bitters.
Ingredients
Directions
Add pisco, simple syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Remove ice from shaker.
Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
Strain into a sour glass.
Garnish with three drops orange bitters.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the Pisco and All The Bitter Non-Alcoholic Orange Bitters in place of the orange bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
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More Classic Cocktails
If you like this classic cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Vesper Martini: A gin and vodka cocktail made with Lillet Blanc and a lemon twist
Brooklyn: A rye cocktail made with dry vermouth, maraschino liqueur, and Amer Picon
Martinez: A gin cocktail made with sweet vermouth, cherry liqueur, and orange bitters
Manhattan: A whiskey cocktail made with sweet vermouth, orange bitters, an orange peels, and a cherry
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