If you happen to be in Peru, you would be hard pressed not to find the quintessential Peruvian drink – a Pisco Sour. It’s so celebrated in Peru that they have designated the first Saturday of February every year as National Pisco Sour Day.
This year, it falls on Saturday, February 1st and will herald in a day of fun, food, festivities, and cultural celebrations throughout Peru. As such, the Pisco Sour has earned its place as the country’s most celebrated cocktail contribution to the world.
Expect events and activities at bars and restaurants across Peru. Food fairs featuring traditional Peruvian cuisine, cultural events highlighting the history of Pisco, and demonstrations and tastings of different ways to fix the Pisco Sour adult beverage will be the norm for the day.
But this holiday celebrates more than Pisco Sour, as it also promotes Peruvian gastronomy and culture. Celebrations include various events where chefs and bartenders showcase their skills, reinforcing the idea that Pisco Sour is deeply woven into the fabric of Peruvian culture.
What is Pisco Sour?
This iconic cocktail, born in the lively streets of Lima, represents more than just a refreshing drink – it stands as a testament to Peru’s rich heritage and innovative mixology through its unique blend of local ingredients and cultural authenticity.
The traditional drink’s base, pisco, is a Peruvian grape brandy that comes from grapes grown in Peru’s coastal valleys, where the unique climate and soil create perfect growing conditions. Regional and local bartenders added their own touch by incorporating egg whites and topping the drink with Angostura bitters, creating the signature egg-white top. It will also have fresh lime juice and sugar.
Where is the birthplace of Pisco?
Peru is considered the birthplace of pisco, with historical roots that can be traced back to the 16th century, when the Spanish colonizers brought grapevines to the arid coastal regions of the country during the colonial era. The grapes thrived and were ideal for winemaking. However, this competition was soon considered to be a threat to Spain and domestic Spanish wines. As a result, all Peruvian wines were banned for export to Spain.
But Peruvian resilience, as always, was strong, and farmers innovated and started producing the pisco brandy. This resulted in grape-growers increasing their production of brandy to meet an insatiable demand, especially overseas. These bottles were shipped from the port of Pisco, with exports peaking in the 17th to 18th centuries.
Then, the War of the Pacific from 1879-1883 proved to be another challenge to Peruvian resilience. With a far superior Naval force, Chile attacked Peru to exploit some of the land that harbored rich nitrate deposits in the Atacama Desert. Though this was originally part of Peru, it became part of Chile as an outcome of the war. It was during this time that the Chilean army methodically destroyed many Peruvian pisco cellars as they occupied the capital of Lima toward the end of the war.
But Peruvians viewed the destruction of their cellars as yet another challenge they would overcome, again proving their resilience in the face of adversity. Soon, a popular Peruvian saying was heard in the streets throughout the country: “Pisco is Peru.”
Where was the Pisco Sour first created?
Though the neighboring country of Chile also claims to have created the Pisco Sour, their version was introduced many years after Peru’s.
The journey of the Pisco Sour began in Lima during the 1920s, where Victor Vaughen Morris, an American bartender from a Mormon family of Welsh ancestry, first combined Peruvian pisco with local limes and sugar. Legend has it that Morris created the concoction when he ran out of whiskey for a whiskey sour.
Further adding credence to the Peruvian claim of creating the Pisco Sour, the first documented recipe appeared in a Peruvian publication in 1921.
Supporting Peru as the originator of this cocktail is the fact that pisco was recognized in 2005 by the World Intellectual Property Organization to be of Peruvian origins. This resolved a dispute with Chile that went back to the 19th century.
Then, in 2007, the National Institute of Culture declared the Pisco Sour as a Cultural Heritage of Peru, recognizing the traditions and importance of the drink. From its humble beginnings in a Lima bar to its current popularity as an internationally recognized cocktail, this drink continues to represent the best of Peruvian creativity and tradition.
The next time someone toasts with a glass of Pisco Sour, they’re not just enjoying a refreshing drink of sweet and sour laced with lime; they’re participating in a centuries-old tradition that celebrates the spirit of Peru!
Karin Leperi Pezo is a freelance travel writer and photographer who has traveled to 125 countries. Her published bylines and images have won many awards, both domestic and international. Areas of special interest are culture, cuisine, and cruising along with nature, wildlife, and adventure. She divides her time between Iquitos, Peru and Las Vegas, Nevada.
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