Pisco what? More from Peru...

Acclimating in Cusco for a few days before we went to Machu Picchu, we landed ourselves in a local bar. (Those who know me are not surprised to hear this, ha!) Wanting to "do as the Peruvians do..." we asked what the local drink was. Turns out, it's a Pisco Sour. Pisco is the national spirit of Peru and is an unaged brandy. The flavor tends be somewhat herbal and can be sipped alone or more often made into a cocktail, the Pisco Sour being the most popular. The big difference betweeen brandy and wine, and Pisco, is that it's aged in copper pots and can only be distilled once. There are no additives, water or sugar, just the pure wonderful Peruvian grown grapes!

Ok, back to our drinks! We watched with baited breath as our friendly neighborhood bartender began to whip up this famous drink for us. He poured the Pisco into a shaker with ice and added fresh lemon juice and some simle syrup. Ok,so far...then he grabbed a jar of something that looked like clear slime! Yikes! What was happening to our beautiful cocktail? I wondered aloud what that could be and our mixologist volunteered that it was egg white! What? Well...it is the national drink, we discussed in hushed voices, I guess we should try it, we decided. He shook the drink in his nifty shaker and expertly poured it into a clear rocks glass. The egg white formed a pillowy foam cap onto which he dropped three caramel colored drops of bitters. What a pretty drink! I gingerly took a sip and found it to be refreshing, tart and throughly delicious!

Several Pisco Sours later, we carefully navigated the cobble stone street back to our hotel (luckily just two doors down). Those Sours go down so easy! Peruvian national drink- Check!

This drink will go great with your Peruvian Chicken Wings from my last post, so

if you want to try this tangy cocktail at home, here is the recipe:

Pisco Sour

1 1/2 z Pisco

1 oz Lemon Juice

3/4 oz Simple Syrup

1 Egg white

Bitters for garnish

Simple Syrup

Disolve equal parts water and sugar (or your favoite sugar substitute, for the Lectin Free version) in a pan over low heat. Pour into a jar and cool.

Pour all of the ingredients, except the bitters, into a shaker with ice and shake it like you mean it! Strain into a rocks glass and drop several drops of bitters onto the top. Enjoy!