The Pisco Sour tops the long list of Peruvian cocktails, and, of course, its main ingredient is the traditional Peruvian pisco, which we will try to learn a little better.
A Tasty Cocktail
With the arrival of Spanish conquistadors, right at the gates of the Inca land, the development of the first city, which they called the City of Kings and is now the capital of Peru, began. We are referring to Lima.
Along with the first foundations and stones laid for building the city, arose the need for wine for liturgical celebrations, leading to the planting of the first vines.
Along with wine production, around the 16th century, the distillation of grape aguardiente also began. The production of grape aguardiente intensified after the Jesuits arrived in this region, and by the 17th century, its production had become very important.
As the production of this beverage— the base for the Peruvian Pisco Sour — grew, it began to be exported in the 17th century. Its shipment port and place of production led to it being marketed as “Pisco aguardiente,” giving rise to the name of this most characteristic Peruvian drink.
From "Pisco Aguardiente" to Pisco Sour
The Peruvian Pisco Sour is a drink prepared essentially with pisco, lime, gomme syrup or sugar, an egg white, a few drops of Angostura bitters, and ice.
These are the current ingredients of the popular Peruvian Pisco Sour. But to understand its origins, let’s explore a bit how this drink was born — the history is relatively recent and marked with colorful notes.
As expected, the Peruvian Pisco Sour seems to have its birth certificate in a bar in the Peruvian capital. Around 1929, Morris Bar was promoting a drink called Pisco Sour, where the “sour” label was applied to any cocktail containing lime as an ingredient.
Although Morris Bar closed shortly after, this emblem of Peruvian drinks began to gain popularity and eventually became a symbol of national beverages. Some historians argue that the roots of the Peruvian Pisco Sour extend back several years before Victor Morris officially introduced it to Peruvians.
Apparently, in the 18th century, the consumption of pisco aguardiente had already been prohibited due to street fights it caused, prompting slaves to clandestinely prepare a beverage called punche, made with pisco and lime juice.
The Cultural Importance in Peru
After its creation at Morris Bar, the Pisco Sour was adopted by Lima’s most luxurious hotels. Some say that it was the bartenders who, having worked at Morris, were responsible for spreading it further.
After the closure of this renowned bar, the Peruvian government, starting around 2003, began promoting policies to advance both nationally and internationally the recognition of the Pisco Sour.
The popularity of the Peruvian Pisco Sour grew so much that, in 2004, the government declared the National Pisco Sour Day, celebrated across the country on the first Saturday of February each year.
This celebration has deeply rooted itself in Peruvian traditions, and tourists visiting Peru during that time enjoy the festivities that honor one of the world’s most famous Peruvian cocktails.
Of course, there's a “dispute” between Chile and Peru regarding the true origins of the Pisco Sour, but that remains part of the anecdotal lore among those who claim credit for this internationally renowned beverage.
What is certain is that Peru took the initiative, and today, the famous Peruvian Pisco Sour has been rightfully adopted worldwide as a legitimate Peruvian creation.
