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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
  • Active Time

    2 minutes

  • Total Time

    2 minutes

While both Peru and Chile claim the pisco sour cocktail a homebred favorite, many historians actually trace the drink to an American expat. As the story goes, Utah-born businessmanVictor Morriseither created or popularized what would become the national drink of two South American nations in the early 20th century—though hewasliving and running a bar in Lima, Peru, at the time. It’s understandable why this classic cocktail recipe has longevity and legions of fans across the globe. Its ingredients are easy to come by, its mixing method is relatively straightforward, and it often gets a bold,easily identifiable garnish: vibrant red drops of aromatic bitters resting on a cloudlike white froth.

According to Connie McCabe, who reported on the drink forGourmet2001年1月,秘鲁的这个版本s cocktail is sometimes mixed in a blender until very cold and then strained into an ice-cube-free old-fashioned glass. In Chile, you may see it made with powdered sugar, shaken, and poured into stemmed glassware. This pisco sour recipe follows the dry shake method (shaking first without ice, then with; helping the egg white emulsify into the rest of the cocktail ingredients) and relies onsimple syrupfor sweetness. You can use fresh lemon juice or fresh lime juice to make it. You’ll find camps that lobby for both, but as long as the citrus is fresh, not bottled, the drink will be delicious.

If raw eggs give you pause, opt forpasteurized eggs, or make a vegan version withaquafaba. As with aclassic whiskey sour, shake until the shaker is frosty cold, then pour into a chilled glass (we like acoupe). Garnish the silky concoction with drops, not dashes, of bitters. TrinidadianAngosturais the most common brand used in the US—and the most easily found—but some opt forPeruvian Amargo Chunco bitters. If you like, use a cocktail pick or toothpick to swirl them into the foam.

Ingredients

Makes 1

1 large egg white*
1 oz. 1:1 simple syrup
1 oz. fresh lemon or lime juice
2 oz. pisco
Angostura bitters
  1. Combine1 large egg white,1 oz. simple syrup,1 oz. fresh lemon or lime juice, and2 oz. piscoin a large cocktail shaker. Seal and shake vigorously without ice for 30 seconds to emulsify egg white. Unseal shaker, add ice, and shake vigorously again until shaker is well chilled. Strain into a chilled coupe or old-fashioned glass without ice. Dot the froth with 3 drops or more Angostura bitters.

    Editor’s note:This recipe is adapted from one first printed in the January 2001 issue of ‘Gourmet.’Head this way for more of our favorite summer drinks →

Cooks' Note

*Raw egg is not recommended for the elderly, people who are pregnant or have weakened immune systems...or folks who don’t like raw eggs.

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  • I loved it with the lime juice; my partner preferred it with lime. We also tried the blender-then-strain version mentioned in the intro which was fun—got kind of a creamier mouthfeel. I'd probably stick to the shaker method next time, but neat experiment.

    • Kearney

    • Brooklyn

    • 6/15/2023

  • This is a classic recipe for using the Peruvian brandy Pisco. I prefer it made using lemons. Try it both ways and see which you like. Also, when I know I'm going to make this, I buy a carton of egg whites so that I don't need to fuss with separating eggs.

    • Anonymous

    • Atlanta, GA

    • 10/27/2006

  • This is a great drink for a cocktail party and won't give you a headache. If you want to improve the taste, just practice and practice the making of Pisco Sour.

    • NF1

    • Peru

    • 4/24/2006

  • I made a large batch of these and they were just like I had them in Peru! For the simple syrup use equal parts water adn sugar and definitely fresh lime juice was the way to go. When making a large batch I followed the 1 egg white for each part (assuming each part was 2 oz) but probably could have used fewer egg whites. Would definitely make again!

    • Anonymous

    • Falls Church, VA

    • 10/25/2004

  • Really easy and delicious!

    • Anna

    • 6/15/2023

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