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Chilean Pisco Sour Isn't Worth the Trouble

courtesy of
La Casa del Pisco

Esteemed Chef Anthony Bourdain of the Travel Channel's program "No reservations," affirmed that Chilean Pisco Sour "wasn't worth the trouble," and indicated that when he was in Peru he tried Pisco Sours that were much better than the Chileans prepared.

In the restaurant "La Playa" of Valparaiso, Bourdain tried the Pisco Sour and said, "I imagine that in old times, sailors used to drink this only to later be found dead in some dark alley dressed as women."

He then added, "next time, I'll ask for a beer."

It was a threat that he followed through on in Puerto Varas where he asked for a white wine when he was offered a Pisco Sour.

His companion in that journey, Chilean Producer Jorge Lopez Sotomayor, added more details, "He told me that he found the Chilean Pisco Sour to be boring and not worth the trouble. What happened is that Tony had just been to Peru where he had tried a ton of Pisco Sours and he enjoyed all of them much more than those he tried here. It's regrettable, but it's true, in Chile they don't know how to make Pisco Sours."

Bourdain's opinions generated some harsh reactions in the country to the South. Enrique Rivera, president of "Circulo de Cronistas Gastronomicos de Chile," considered the famous chef's recent visit to that country as a double edged sword, "because he generalizes the quality of the food of a country after only going to a couple of places."

translated by
Ben Jonjak




Add a comment :
14 comments

jorge meneses says :
2-09-09,03:42:58

My friends, it is all a question of taste. 
Our Chilean friends like their "Chilean Pisco sour" 
We Peruvians love our "Peruvian Pisco sour" which goes very well with our delicious Peruvian cuisine.
Salud,  Jorge

Susan Bermudez says :
2-09-09,03:58:12

Peruvian Pisco Sour is the unique Pisco Sour exists!!!!

Patg says :
2-09-09,06:54:56

Yep, I have to agree with your correspondent, Pisco Sour in Chile is similar to "El Pisqueno", a bottled version sold in Peru.  They don't so much prepare it, noisily, as pour it.

The only real "Pisco Sour" is prepared and served in Peru.

Nor do Chileans seem to enjoy "real" coffee, sadly they more than often serve "Nescafe" and, mostly, their food is not up to the standards that we expect in Peru.

Oh well, another Brit excluded from Chile!

Viva El Peru

Patg

says :
2-09-09,07:11:37

Poor suffered southeners, always being upset for international recognition about Peruvian products, who talked about food, this article is all about pisco sour, and definitely to Chilean's frustration, Peru prepares the best ever. Cheers, Salud!!

arturo says :
2-09-09,07:33:34

No surprise for us here

Rosa Madalengoitia says :
3-09-09,11:05:23

¡¡¡Anthony knows what is the best!!! ...And peruvians are the oldest pisco producers.  Take note of his words.

Juanita says :
3-09-09,03:21:46

Yes is true. I live in Chile. People here doesnt know how to make any drink with pisco. The only mix popular here is piscola, pisco with cocacola half parts, and 1 ice (if).

people here is lazy on any preparation, is part of the culture.
so you can find some  only bottled  (ready to drink) commercial experiments, made from pisco:

-bottled pisco with "mango" (artificial of course, tastes more like maracuya)
-bottled pisco "with lemon" (horrible drink)
-bottled pisco cream,  only "alto del carmen" is good.
and of course el cola de mono, that is the traditional home made "baily's"

you can make a survey asking "how to prepare pisco sour", they just ignore the thing.



Tracy Silva says :
3-09-09,02:41:16

Ok, let's be fair here.  My husband is Chilean and is ashamed to admit the we both prefer Peruvian Pisco Sours, but that isn't to say that we haven't had a lot, and I mean a lot, of wonderful Pisco Sours in Chile every year.  I don't think Anthony and his crew had enough of them in different places to be able to validate that statement.  And, I can honestly say that while in Peru, I had Pisco Sours that were wonderful and some, not so great.  But, I would never make a broad statement as they did.  Apperently, you just have to know where to go.
I did enjoy the show, however, and forwarded it to all our Chilean friends. 

Carmen Mendoza says :
3-09-09,05:06:19

As a Peruvian who have travelled the world with an open mind I have to agree that our Pisco Sour is the best. I also tried Chilean Pisco Sour and found it a bit boring in taste. Thanks for this great article.

Carmen Mendoza

Karina Magill says :
3-09-09,06:17:10

.. and that is what chileans get for stealing the Pisco and the Pisco Sour....

Ernesto J. Reusens says :
3-09-09,07:14:09

I am glad to see that even in Chile, people recognice the difference between our, and only, Pisco Sour and theirs. I disagree with producer Jorge Lopez Sotomayor. The real fact is that in Chile they don't know how to make PISCO. Their grape Liquor shoul not use our name. It is also a pity the comment of Enrique Rivera of the Circulo de Croinistas Gastronomicos de Chile. It is not possible to anybody to go to every place and try everything. He should act like most of chileans do in respect to Pisco Sour.

Liliana Velasquez says :
8-09-09,01:05:26

I Love Pisco Sour !!! I found an excelent website www.piscosour.com enjoy!!!!

David N says :
17-09-09,06:10:28

Give me a good Scotch any day over pisco.  Pisco sours taste like lemonade mixed with rubbing alcohol.

Bruno C. says :
22-09-09,05:16:52

I actually went to Chile about a year ago and tried their Pisco Sour. I was surprised how bad it was. Honestly, I don't see how someone who's never tried it could like their Pisco Sour. the Pisco tasted horrible, the lemons tasted bad and there was no bubbles on top. I was like,  what is this!



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