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There are many ways of making a Pisco Sour and you may ask yourself; But how? Isn’t the Pisco Sour made with Pisco, simple syrup, lemon, egg white, a touch of Angostura bitters and a lot of ice? And my reply would be, yes you are right, as far as the ingredients go, but those are just the ingredients. To make a Pisco Sour, the ingredients are a very important part, but they are just as important as the method, the glassware, and the proportions. But that only gets us to about 50% of the preparation of the cocktail. The other 50% is in the hand of the one preparing the cocktail! Let’s break it down by steps.

THE INGREDIENTS -

Pisco: It must be Quebranta, the queen grape of Pisco, the one with the most character and strength. And it goes without saying that it must be the best of its kind.

I know that there are many people who like the Acholado variety to make their Pisco Sours, and That is a good option as well, if and when the Acholado do not have too many aromatic grapes in its blend as they sap the strength from the Quebranta.

I know a lot of people that like to mix the Quebranta with another aromatic grape, just at the moment they are putting it all together, and that might be agreeable for some. Just like there are some enjoy their Pisco Sour just only with aromatic varieties and there are fans of just a Mosto Verde for their Pisco base. There are many options; it depends on each person’s taste.

Lemon: It has to be one of our Peruvian lemons. The Peruvian lemon’s acidity is key to the sour as it creates a perfect contrast to the potency of the Pisco. It’s what one might call the perfect marriage.

In making a Pisco Sour, it is recommended to use fresh and juicy lemons and that they are squeezed just at the moment, just like with a ceviche. If you are making some ahead to keep, you have to keep it very cold, tightly sealed and should be used within a few hours, never from one day to the next.

Whenever I’ve traveled to other countries, the lemon has always been the make or break point. Generally, the lemons that are more available abroad are the seedless Haitian ones which do not have necessary acidity to balance the potency of the Pisco. In cases like these, the recipe has had to have been varied a bit, and that is in the hands of the artist.

When you pre-mix Pisco Sour in bottles or containers, the lemon lasts much longer as the alcohol and the syrup extend the lemon’s life, but of course, always refrigerated and for same-day use.

Simple Syrup: The syrup is the balance, it’s really very important, because depending on the amount placed in the mix, you’ll get the appropriate “sour” result, meaning not too sweet or not too acid. You must have the perfect balance. In the cocktail world, the sour is how a bartender is measured. If he cannot make one, then he really should not even try to make anything else until he can get a sour right.

You can find simple syrup in liquor stores and supermarkets, but the best ones are the home-made ones made simple with sugar and boiled water in the right proportions.

There are those people who like to make their Pisco Sour with sugar, and that is ok, as long as they are using a blender. However, simple syrup or sugar are the main culprits of the “hang over” and the quick drunks, so be very careful when you are mixing up your proportions.

Egg White.- Pisco Sour is practically the only sour that uses egg white in its preparation. In the USA and European countries, the use of unprocessed or unpasteurized egg whites is prohibited, in either food or drinks. It’s because of bacteria, like salmonella that are on the shells. That’s why it’s necessary to wash or soak the eggs with water and iodine for a few minutes and then to rinse them off. Only then, should they be used.

It's best to pre-blend the egg white for about five seconds in the blender and then to let them sit for about 5 minutes to allow the foam to separate and eggs to settle. Then eliminate the foam and use the liquid part for your sour. This breaks up the clumps, allows better measurement and cuts down on the excessive foam on your cocktail.

Ice.- The colder it is, the better you’ll enjoy a Pisco Sour. No matter if you use a shaker or a blender, always use large compact pieces of ice that will not melt as easily. If you are using a cocktail shaker, shake vigorously for approximately eight seconds, and if you are using a blender, blend for about five seconds as well.

Angostura Bitters.- As its name implie, the best Bitters are from Angostura. However, don’t use more than 3 drops.

The Measurements.- The measurements vary according to the client’s taste. Personally, I believe you can’t go wrong with a 3-1-1-1 blend, that is, 3 ounces of Pisco Quebranta, one ounce of lemon, one ounce of simple syrup and one ounce of egg white. And if you are looking for something a bit more intense, try 4-1-1-1, which I also think is great.

If someone should want their's dry, decrease the amount of simple syrup. Don’t add in more Pisco, and if someone asks for a sweet one, just add in more syrup.

Method.- The right method is to use a cocktail shaker, because that is where the master’s hand comes into play. But the blender is a good option as well, especially when you have to make a lot of Pisco Sours at once and you don’t quite have the hang of the shaker.

Glassware.- The Pisco Sour glass should be a 10 ounce one and it has to be very chilled so that the mix will be uniform in temperature and texture when you serve it. It’s just like in the kitchen, when you serve something hot you have to place it on a hot plate and vice-versa, when you serve something cold you have to serve it on a cold plate. Serving a Pisco Sour in a glass that is not chilled definitely is going to take away from the combination.

The Mixologist’s “Touch”.- Everything that has been mentioned above would not be worth anything if at the time of making the cocktail we don’t really have the sincere desire of making it and the passion to achieve it. We’ll never achieve anything if we do things half-heartedly and an empty soul. The “touch” comes from the heart, with a real love for what we enjoy doing. In the end, if we put all the elements together, I assure you that we’ll get the Perfect Pisco Sour.