Are you more of a 3-1-1-1 or a 4-1-1-1 pisco sour enthusiast? If you don’t know what we’re talking about, read up on the importance of technique and measurements.
If you haven’t read up on Hans Hilburg’s guidelines as far as choosing the perfect ingredients for a perfect pisco sour, read up on it first. Just as important are the methods and technique. Here’s the step-by-step guide.
MEASURE: The measurements will vary with the taste of each person. Personally, I think you can’t miss with a 3-1-1-1 formula. That is to say, 3 ounces of Quebranta pisco, 1 ounce of lemon juice, 1 ounce of simple syrup and 1 ounce of egg white. If you want something a bit more intense, try the 4-1-1-1 formula, which I find spectacular also.
If you want it dry, don’t add more pisco, but rather put a bit less simple syrup. And if you want it a bit sweeter, put in a touch more simple syrup.
METHOD: It comes down to the right way to use a shaker, because that is where the hand of the master comes into play. But using a blender is also a good option, especially if you have to make numerous pisco sours at the same time.
GLASSWARE: The pisco sour glass should be 12 oz and must be very cold so that the mix will be even at the time of serving. Just like in the kitchen when you serve something hot, the plate must also be hot and vice versa: when serving something cold the plate (or recipient) must also be cold. Serving a pisco sour in a glass that is not chilled will definitely detract and unbalance the combination.
Generally we will use a whiskey glass or a classic qiru glass, which resembles the ancient drinking vessel used in Andean feasts.
THE HAND OF THE MIXOLOGIST: Everything we have outlined above is worthless if we don’t have the sincere desire and the passion to do it right. The ‘hand of the mixologist’ comes from the heart, and you can achieve it.
Live pisco, know Pisco, enjoy pisco.
Cover photo: Andina
This article has been updated from its original publication in 2017.