Pisco Sours

This week we are headed down to South America to taste the sweet treat known as a Pisco Sour.

Liquor.com says, “Both Chile and Peru claim this classic as their own.” Which, is quite common for the invention of various drinks. Pisco is the base liquor in the drink and where you go from there depends on which version you are drinking. Let’s start in Peru. You will need Peruvian Pisco, key lime juice, simple syrup, ice, egg white, and Angostura bitter. Shake well and pour into a glass. In Chile, begin with Chilean Pisco, and pica lime juice. No bitters or egg in this drink. Other variations of the drink call for pineapple and coca leaves.

So, how did these two drinks come into existence? In Peru, bar owner, Victor Vaughn Morris is accredited to making the drink in his bar. As an American bartender living in Peru he had a large surrounding of English speaking travelers at his bar Morris’. He invented the drink in the early 1920s and it evolved over the decade when an employee in his bar added the egg white and bitters.

If you want the Chilean story we have to go back to 1872. Elliot Stubb, an English fishing steward is credited to having mixed key lime juice, syrup, and ice together at the port of Iquique. One problem with this story however is at this time the port of Iquique was owned by Peru. The debate is still part of pop culture today between the two countries and both hold it as their national drink. Stubb is also credited with inventing the whisky sour, so he still stakes his claim in drink history regardless.

Want to try out these drinks for yourself in their native countries? Give us a call today at Ambassador Travel Ltd. 920.236.7777 or info@ambassadortravelltd.com