Pisco – Peru’s National Spirit

PISCO FEVER

WORDS ° Ben Davidson & Josie Healy

Pisco has long been established in cocktail culture, namely with the Pisco Punch and Pisco Sour, which date back to as early as the 1870s for the former and 1920s for the latter and ended up taking Hollywood by storm thanks for fans John Wayne and Ernest Hemmingway. Pisco is produced in neighbouring Chile, but the spirit’s origins and history are synonymous with Peru.

WHAT EXACTLY IS PISCO?

Pisco is a spirit distilled from the first pressing of fermented grape juice. While oak barrels feature prominently in the flavour profiles of whiskies, brandies and rums, one of the key differences and in fact one of a number of very strict regulations that govern the production of pisco is that it cannot have contact with wood at any stage of the production process. While technically classified as a brandy, pisco is a crystal–clear white spirit made without the addition of wood or any other flavouring. In essence, the final product is a unique pristine grape eau de vie expressing the original flavours of the grapes used to make it.

STYLES OF PISCO

Under the Peruvian Denomination of Origin (DO), pisco can only be made from eight grape varieties, four of which are classified as non-aromatic and four as aromatic. The DO further stipulates that these grapes can only be grown in five coastal regions of Peru including Ica, Lima, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna. All eight grape varieties used to make pisco are variants of the original grapes brought by the Spanish conquistadors to make wine for the holy sacrament during the mid-16th century.

THERE ARE THREE STYLES OF PISCO:

PURO: Pisco puro is produced from a single grape variety. Any of the eight grape varietals can be used, however, the majority of pisco puro - around 80 per cent - is made using the non-aromatic grape variety quebranta.

ACHOLADO: The acholado style of pisco is made from a blend of two or more grape varieties. An acholado can be made from a blend of pisco puro or mosto verde, but never from a mixture of both.

MOSTO VERDE: This is a premium style of pisco distilled from partially fermented grape juice. With around 20 per cent residual sugar at the time of distillation, the mosto verde style has a sophisticated, smooth and velvety palate. It takes more grapes per litre, is more work and more expensive to produce, and as such is seen as the cream of the crop in the pisco category.

PRODUCTION

The DO states that pisco can only be made using wild, naturally occurring yeast present on the grapes at the time of harvest. Made only from the first pressing of the grape juice with all of the skins, seeds and stems being discarded. This practise sets pisco apart from grappa and other styles of brandy made from the pomace left-over from wine production. Produced from a single distillation in a small, copper alembic still, the final distilled product must be between 38-48% ABV, with no water – or anything else – added at any stage. After distillation, the pisco must rest or ripen for a minimum of three months stored only in vessels that will not influence the flavour or aroma.

PERUVIAN VS. CHILEAN PISCO

Both the South American neighbouring countries of Peru and Chile make pisco today. Although it was the port city of Peru where pisco took its name, the production of Peruvian pisco went into decline in the early 20th century. At that time, Chilean pisco production continued to grow until more recently when Peruvian pisco has re-emerged to lay claim to be the original pisco.

But how do they differ? Each country has their own Domination of Origin with different specifications, resulting in a final product that is completely different in flavour and style. Chilean pisco is produced in large batch continuous distilleries. Their pisco may be aged in wood, does not need to be distilled to proof, and can be made using a range of 14 different grape varieties as opposed to the eight Peruvian grape varieties.

CONSUMPTION OF PISCO

Pisco can be consumed in a large number of ways; sipped neat, as an aperitif or digestif, or in an array of cocktails. Pisco is most commonly consumed in the Pisco Sour, Pisco Punch and Chilcano, a favourite drink of Peruvian’s youth – two shots of pisco, lime juice, dry ginger ale, bitters and ice.

Variations on classic cocktails with pisco as the lead spirit are also common, with drinks like El Capitan - a take on a Manhattan with pisco used in place of whisky. Similarly, the Pisco Negroni uses pisco in place of gin or the Pisco Mojito, where you guessed it, pisco is used instead of Cuban rum!

In Australia, The Pisco People are the number one boutique importer, distributor and online retailer of premium Peruvian piscos. Sourcing the best piscos available from Peru and building relationships with the producers, all piscos imported by The Pisco People are sourced with a “grape to glass” ethos, meaning the producer controls every stage of the process. Some of the great piscos now available through The Pisco People include Cuatro G’S, Pisco Portón, De Carral and Viñas de Oro.

Another fine range of pisco is from Campo de Encanto from the Ica Valley in Peru, available through Vanguard Luxury Brands.

Drinks World’s drinks curator, Ben Davidson, says pisco has a fascinating history with its grape growing and winemaking origins, its simple alembic distillation retaining the vibrancy of the raw materials. Since its beginnings, soon after the Spanish arrival in South America, it has ridden a rise in popularity only to decline for a while and then come back again.

From its origins as a type of Peruvian brandy, it was given the name pisco from the area around where it was being produced, with the name pisco synonymous with the spirit and the place and soon became the most popular spirit in the region and other Spanish outposts during the early 1800s.

From 1830, pisco and its related cocktails became incredibly fashionable in San Francisco, California and New York. By the mid-1870s, during the gold rush, pisco was by far the most popular drink in San Francisco even though it was sold for twenty-five cents a glass – a high price for those days! The most famous drink of the day was Pisco Punch, invented at the famous Bank Exchange in San Francisco. In 1889, Rudyard Kipling described the taste as “Shavings of cherub’s wings, the glory of a tropical dawn, red clouds of sunset and fragments of lost epics by dead poets”.

GET YOUR PISCO FROM THE PEOPLE

The Pisco People is an Australian leading boutique distributor, wholesaler and online retailer of premium pisco from Peru.

Following extensive travels through South America (and many, many tastings), Josie Healy, founder and director of The Pisco People arrived at the conclusion that the very best piscos come from the process that adheres to the Peruvian Denomination of Origin. After 12 months living and working in South America, on her return to Australia Josie recognised the lack of premium pisco offerings as a business opportunity.

Before launching The Pisco People in November 2015, Josie spent many months sourcing the best Peruvian pisco products available and building relationships with pisco producers who have been recognised nationally and internationally for the quality of their products. With exclusive distribution rights to five of the very best brands of Peruvian pisco, The Pisco People have a portfolio of 14 different piscos, which represents the most extensive range of pisco in Australia.

“Each pisco expresses an incredible diversity of flavour based on the variety of grapes used, as well as the unique terroir and style of each bodega. As versatile as any spirit on earth, pisco can be used to create unique and flavourful mixed drinks and cocktails, and the best piscos can also be enjoyed neat or on the rocks”, says drinks expert Fred Siggins who worked with The Pisco People to develop their portfolio.

For example, the oldest and most commonly produced style of pisco in Peru, the nonaromatic quebranta grape creates a pisco that is rich and earthy. The single varietal quebranta produced by Cuatro G’S is complex and flavourful, providing the perfect base for making traditional pisco sours, chilcanos and pisco tonics. In contrast, Viñas de Oro’s Quebranta is more fruit-driven, but still has a great earthy structure for a traditional Pisco Sour or an Apple Twist made with pisco and cloudy apple juice.

Expressing a completely different flavour profile, Cuatro G’S Mosto Verde Italia, made from an aromatic Italian grape, produces a pisco with bright floral notes and a well-rounded, smooth mouthfeel. Used in the original Pisco Punch invented in San Francisco’s Bank Exchange Hotel during the California Gold Rush, Healy says, “We’re proud to say that The Pisco People is the only Australian importer of this delicious and historically significant pisco.”

The De Carral products in The Pisco People’s portfolio are made by a fourth-generation family of pisqueros and represent the height of sophistication and quality for artisanal craft piscos. The Quebranta offers an intricate fruit nose and an expansive palate full of spices and earthy funk; the Italia is minty and dry with a fine, elegant structure and beautiful green flavours, perfect in a Southside, while the Acholado is seductively light in flavour, showing excellent minerality, making it perfect for Martinis and other alcohol-forward cocktails.

When it comes to premium brands of pisco, Portón ticks all the boxes. Handcrafted in Bodega Hacienda La Caravedo, the oldest working distillery in the Americas, Pisco Portón is one of the most awarded spirits in the world. The Mosto Verde Quebranta is a deluxe option for making a traditional Pisco Sour or for sipping while you enjoy your favourite cheese, chocolate or dessert. The luxury of the packaging backs up the quality of the product in the bottle. Presented in a heavy-footed square bottle that has a clear glass window with a reverse silkscreened graphic of Hacienda La Caravedo, the bottle is a definite attention grabber on the back bar.

For more information, visit the website www.thepiscopeople.com.au or contact us via email info@thepiscopeople.com.au to book in for a tasting or staff training.