Every first Saturday of February, Peru celebrates the National Pisco Sour Day (DĂa Naciona del Pisco Sour), an annual event dedicated to one drink: the Pisco Sour. This cocktail of Peruvian origin is made with Pisco, lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white. Discover the origin of the cocktail, an exclusive recipe and an excellent Peruvian dish.
Sometimes referred to as the “spirit of Peru”, Pisco is the Peruvian alcohol par excellence and is an integral part of the country’s history, culture and gastronomy. This delicate distilled spirit must be made from only one of the eight authorised grape varieties or a mixture of these varieties and is reminiscent of an unaged brandy. It is best combined with sweetness and acidity: sugar syrup and lime juice. Add some egg white and a few drops of Chuncho or Angostura Bitters, and there you have it: Pisco Sour!
Born in Lima
In the early 20th century, Peruvian aristocrats and intellectuals used to meet in Lima’s bars and cafĂ©s. For example, the Morris Bar, which belonged to the American Victor Morris. Inspired by the Whisky Sour recipe, he served his first Pisco Sour in the 1920s. Over time, the recipe was perfected by his bartenders and since then, the Pisco Sour has become the Peruvian cocktail par excellence.
To enjoy a good Pisco Sour in Luxembourg go to Bar : Bar or the restaurant Mad About Peru.
Celebrate National Pisco Sour Day at home
Peruvians like to drink a Pisco Sour as an aperitif, but this refreshing cocktail also goes well with a good dinner. On National Pisco Sour Day, you can of course drink this cocktail throughout the evening. Start with a Pisco Sour as an aperitif and serve the cocktail with, for example, grilled octopus with olive dip. Because it is so simple, this cocktail is easy to make at home. Don’t have a shaker handy? Use a jar, a small thermos bottle or a blender.
Pisco Sour recipe, for 1 glass
- 60 ml Peruvian Pisco
- 30 ml lime juice
- 15 ml sugar syrup
- 1 egg white
- 4 ice cubes
- 3 drops of Chuncho or Angostura Bitters
Place the Pisco, lime juice, sugar syrup, egg white and ice cubes in a shaker. Shake for 8-10 seconds. Pour the cocktail into a chilled glass and add 3 drops of Bitters.
A Pisco Sour goes very well with, among other things, “Pulpo al Olivo” (octopus with olives), a recipe by the Dutch-Peruvian Katinka Lansink Dodero. She is the author of Mi Casa Peru, a cookbook containing eighty Peruvian recipes.
Recipe for octopus with olives
- 100 g pitted and drained Kalamata olives
- 1 clove of fresh garlic
- 100 ml peanut oil
- 1 tbsp. lime
- 75 g Greek yoghurt, 10% fat
- 6 tbsp. single cream
- 4 tbsp unsweetened condensed milk
- 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 200 g pre-cooked octopus tentacles
Blend all the ingredients except the tentacles with an immersion blender to obtain a sauce with the consistency of mayonnaise. Rinse the octopus well and dry it with paper towels. Grill the octopus for 10 minutes in a dry frying pan so that the tentacles become crispy. You can also do this on a barbecue: the charcoal gives it even more flavour. Arrange the tentacles on a plate, drizzle with the olive sauce and serve with extra sauce on the side as a dip.
Enjoy!