This article is for the curious, gourmets, so to speak. Pisco is not exactly analogous to chacha or grappa, as mentioned in the relevant articles. For the production of this drink, cake is not used, but only good, high-quality grapes – this is the difference. However, from the point of view of the alcoholic world, pisco is just brandy, that is, a drink obtained by distilling fermented berry or fruit raw materials, in this case grape.
Origin of Pisco Brandy
In the beginning, as usual, there was a legend. Some brave seafarers on reed boats decided to cross the Ocean to get to the center of the Universe, the mystical island “Te Pite o Te Henua”, whose name is translated into Russian not smoothly, but aptly: “The Navel of the Earth”. For a long time, the sailors plied the endless expanses of the oceans, completely desperate to find the mysterious center of the universe, the thought of imminent death did not leave them. Suddenly, a soaring bird appeared on the horizon, which showed the exhausted seekers the way to the blessed land.
Much later, a European navigator rediscovered this island, naming it in honor of the Christian holiday of Easter, on the day of the celebration of which it was opened. The legend says that this is a legend about the first settlers of Easter Island, from whose language the name “pisco” came from, and it is translated as “flying bird”, in honor of the bird that once saved exhausted travelers from death in the ocean depths.
The drink that has been compared to a free-fluttering bird is a colorless or yellowish amber grape brandy, which is produced in Peru and Chile. Pisco was discovered and mass-produced by Spanish settlers in Peru in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, which was imported from Spain (the Spaniards brought with them the art of distillation, which made pisco possible).
South of the Peruvian capital city of Lima is the Pisco Valley, which during the time of the Spanish conquerors was inhabited by the tribe of the same name. The Indians made a low-alcohol drink from corn here. The Spaniards brought vines from Europe and taught the local population how to make wine. Wine began to be stored in jugs previously used to make an Indian corn drink, so the drink eventually became known as pisco.
During the war between Chile and Peru in the XNUMXth century, the Chileans who occupied part of the Peruvian territory tasted pisco. They liked it and soon they began to produce a strong alcoholic drink with the same name in Chile. At the state level, there are disputes between Peru and Chile over whose drink has the right to be called pisco – the same disagreements arose between the Scots and the Irish over whiskey. However, drinks are strikingly different in the technology of preparation.
Peruvian pisco is made from pure, freshly fermented wine made from skinless and seedless grapes. Distill it once and get a liquid with a strength of 43%. Peruvian pisco is produced using copper stills. There are 4 types of Peruvian pisco:
- Puro (Pure) – made from one grape variety, most often – Quebranta.
- Aromáticas (Aromatic) – made from Muscat grapes, as well as Albilla, Italia or Torontel, but, as in the first version, it can be only one grape variety.
- MostoVerde (Green) – The drink must be distilled before the fermentation process finally turns the sugars into alcohol.
- Acholado (Hybrid) – blended from various grape varieties.
Peruvian pisco must be aged for at least three months in tanks made of glass, steel and other materials that do not change their physical, chemical and organic properties. Peruvian pisco is in no way diluted with anything that could affect its color, taste or strength.
Chilean pisco is diluted with water to lower the degree and aged in wooden barrels, and it is also made from grape wine.
The following types of Chilean pisco are distinguished:
- Regular (30-35%) – tastes like diluted rum, has a sweet woody aroma and a pale yellow tint.
- Control (40%) – aged in oak barrels.
- Special (35-40%), Reserve (40-43%) – these variations are almost the same in taste and aroma, leaving an alcoholic aftertaste after drinking, similar to bourbon.
- Great (43% or more) – has a rich woody aroma and deep yellow color, it is not as sweet as other options.
In addition, according to legal documents recently found in the US National Archives in San Francisco, California, it has been proven that, at least until 1864, only the Republic of Peru was considered the birthplace of pisco.
Pisco punch cocktail
The most famous pisco-based cocktails are Pisco Punch and Pisco Sour (the latter is almost the same as Whiskey Sour, except perhaps the main ingredient =)). In 2007, the Cultural Institute of Peru declared the Pisco Sour a National Treasure of the country, giving Chile a kick in the nose. The Republic of Peru did not stop there – there is also the National Pisco Sour Day, which is celebrated on the first Saturday of February.
The Pisco Punch has somehow managed to wriggle out of its historical roots. In 1848, the whole of America was blown up by the news that there was gold in California! A gold rush began, a quiet town with a population of 1 thousand people in a couple of years became the largest city, which already had 250 thousand inhabitants. People from all over the world sought to grab luck by the tail. Latin and South America, Europe and even China were represented in this “Babylonian pandemonium”, and each brought its own national traits, traditions, cuisine and drinks. In 1853 the BankExchange & BilliardSaloon opened, employing Duncan Nicole. It was he who invented Pisco Punch using Peruvian grape distillate. The drink instantly became popular, Mark Twain and Kipling wrote about it. Duncan added a secret ingredient to Pisco Punch that even his bartenders did not know about, and he took this secret with him to the grave. Basically the recipe itself:
Ingredients:
- 50 ml Pisco;
- 25 ml sugar syrup;
- 50 ml of pineapple juice;
- 30 ml soda;
- 90 g lime.
Preparation:
- prepare a glass a la goblet and fill it with ice;
- Pour ice into a shaker and add Pisco, syrup and juice;
- squeeze the juice of 1 lime and beat well;
- drain the melted water from the goblet and pour the cocktail into it through the strainer;
- add soda to the top;
- garnish with a lime wedge and a cherry on a skewer.
But back to the legend. To paraphrase one statement, it is much easier and more willing to drink a drink fanned by the mystical spirit of the times. Manufacturers are aware of this and are trying to meet the requirements: the original packaging for PiscoCapel in the form of the famous stone idol “Moai” from Easter Island was awarded a large gold medal for the best design at the world exhibition in Paris in 2000. And by the way, this is already a find of Chile.
Traditional Chilean pisco in idol bottles
Unfortunately, only Chilean pisco is represented on the domestic market, the same one in a beautiful package, but I think that over time we will be able to try its Peruvian brother. By the way, when I worked at the bar, we had a rule: whoever sells the last drops of pisco takes the idol bottle – it’s beautiful. Read The Rum Diary and make new discoveries in the world of spirits. Subscribe to blog updates. Till! *hi*