🥃 Pisco Sour
Pisco Sour is a sour cocktail of pisco, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white; the IBA recipe uses 60 ml of pisco, and the oldest known recipe is from a Lima pamphlet of 1903.
Pisco Sour is the sour cocktail of South America: pisco, lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white, shaken into a pale drink with a thick foam. The International Bartenders Association (IBA) lists it among the Contemporary Classics. The IBA recipe shakes 60 ml of pisco, 30 ml of lemon juice, 20 ml of syrup and one egg white with ice, strains it into a chilled goblet and tops it with a few drops of Amargo bitters.
Origin. For a long time the drink was credited to the American Victor Morris, who opened Morris' Bar in Lima in 1916. According to Difford's Guide, that changed in 2012, when a Lima pamphlet of 1903 turned up with the oldest known recipe: pisco, lime, sugar and egg white. The drink is therefore older than Morris's bar and apparently Peruvian in origin.
The Chilean dispute. Both Peru and Chile claim pisco. A Chilean newspaper of the mid-1980s named the English steward Elliott Stubbs as the author, supposedly in 1872 in Iquique, but Difford's Guide treats this with caution. In Peru, the first Saturday of February is National Pisco Sour Day.
Preparation. Pisco (see the pages on Peruvian and Chilean pisco) is shaken with juice, syrup and egg white first without ice and then with ice, which makes the foam thicker. Some bars leave out the egg white, but that is a different version of the drink.
Why it matters to you. Raw egg white can be a risk for pregnant women and people with weakened immunity. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | Peru, Lima; oldest known recipe is from a pamphlet of 1903 |
|---|---|
| Raw material | pisco (60 ml per IBA), lemon juice, sugar syrup, egg white |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Pisco Sour → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Pisco (Peru), 🥃 Pisco
- What it contains
- 🍬 Sugar
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Pisco (Peru)
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Last Word
Frequently asked questions
What is in a Pisco Sour according to the IBA?
60 ml pisco, 30 ml lemon juice, 20 ml sugar syrup and one egg white, with a few drops of Amargo bitters on top.
Was the Pisco Sour invented in Lima in 1916?
Not necessarily. The drink is older: according to Difford's Guide, the oldest known recipe is in a Lima pamphlet of 1903.
Is a Pisco Sour from Peru or Chile?
According to Difford's Guide, the oldest recipe is from Lima, so the drink is apparently Peruvian. The Chilean claim of 1872 is doubtful.
Why is there egg white in a Pisco Sour?
It gives a thick foam; the 1903 recipe already contained egg white. Raw egg white is not recommended for pregnant women or people with weakened immunity.
When is National Pisco Sour Day in Peru?
Every year on the first Saturday of February.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Last Word — Classic cocktail of gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur and lime juice in equal parts; first mentioned on the Detroit Athletic Club menu in 1916.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Old Fashioned · 🥃 Mint Julep · 🥃 Monkey Gland · 🥃 Jungle Bird · 🥃 Paper Plane · 🥃 Piña Colada
Sources
- IBA — International Bartenders Association: Pisco Sour (Contemporary Classics; 60 ml pisco, 30 ml fresh lemon juice, 20 ml simple syrup, 1 egg white; shake, strain into a chilled goblet, Amargo bitters on top)
- Difford's Guide: Pisco Sour history — Victor Morris and Morris' Bar, Lima (1916); a Lima pamphlet of 1903 holds the earliest known recipe (egg white, pisco, sugar, lime); a Chilean newspaper claim of 1872 is doubtful
- Andina (Peruvian news agency): Peru celebrates National Pisco Sour Day — first Saturday of February
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)