Pisco Punch in a Collins glass over ice with a pineapple wedge

Pisco Punch (long version)

Name: Pisco Punch (long version)
Prep time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Yield: 1 serving
Ingredients: Pisco — 50 ml (1 2/3 oz); Pineapple juice — 30 ml (1 oz); Orange juice — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Lemon juice — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Cane syrup — 15 ml (1/2 oz); Cloves — 2 pcs; Dry sparkling wine — 20 ml (2/3 oz)

Shake ∙ Collins glass ∙ 3 min ∙ 12.7% ABV ∙

The Pisco Punch is a San Francisco-born punch built on pisco with pineapple, citrus, and clove, lengthened here with dry sparkling wine over ice. Bright pineapple and orange lead into clove-spiced pisco, with a lemon snap and a dry sparkling lift; an easygoing warm-weather sipper.

Ingredients

Servings

Garnish

Pineapple wedge

Instructions for 1 serving

Pre-chill a glass
In the base of the shaker, muddle: Cloves 2 pcs
Add the next 5 ingredients: Pisco 50 mlPineapple juice 30 mlOrange juice 15 mlLemon juice 15 mlCane syrup 15 ml
Shake with ice
Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
Top with Dry sparkling wine
Garnish with a pineapple wedge
Note: Can be scaled up and served from a punch bowl or a large pitcher

Tips

Shake the pisco, juices, syrup, and cloves hard over ice, then add the sparkling wine last so it keeps its fizz.
Use fresh pineapple and lemon juice; bottled juice mutes the drink's brightness and turns it flat.
Bruise or lightly muddle the two cloves before shaking to draw out their spice without oversteeping.
Fine-strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice to catch clove fragments and pulp.

History

The Pisco Punch became famous in San Francisco in the late 1800s, and is often credited to barman Duncan Nicol at the Bank Exchange, which stood where the Transamerica Pyramid now sits. In 1889 Rudyard Kipling wrote that it was "compounded of the shavings of cherub's wings, the glory of a tropical dawn, the red clouds of sunset and the fragments of lost epics by dead masters," while others said it "tastes like lemonade but comes back with the kick of a roped steer." Nicol reputedly took his exact recipe to his grave, and several similar versions circulate today. The drink is now served across Lima, including a house version at Museo del Pisco.

FAQ

How do you make a Pisco Punch?

Shake pisco, pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, cane syrup, and a couple of cloves hard over ice, then top with dry sparkling wine and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Garnish with a pineapple wedge. Historic versions used pisco, lemon, sugar, and pineapple only.

What is in a Pisco Punch?

Pisco is the base, joined by pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, cane syrup, and cloves, with dry sparkling wine to lengthen it. The original 19th-century recipe was simpler, pairing pisco with lemon juice, sugar, and pineapple gomme.

Is a Pisco Punch shaken or stirred?

Shaken. The pisco, juices, cane syrup, and cloves are shaken hard over ice to chill and combine, then strained into the glass. Add the dry sparkling wine after shaking so its bubbles survive.

What glass is a Pisco Punch served in?

A Collins glass over ice, garnished with a pineapple wedge. The tall glass suits this longer, sparkling-wine version, giving the fruit and clove room to open up as a refreshing punch.

What is the difference between Pisco Punch and a Pisco Sour?

Pisco Punch is a fruit-forward punch built on pineapple, citrus, and clove, often lengthened and served long. A Pisco Sour is a shorter sour of pisco, lime or lemon, sugar, and egg white, finished with a foamy cap and bitters.

What is a famous cocktail from Peru?

The Pisco Sour is Peru's best-known cocktail, made with pisco, lime, sugar, egg white, and bitters. The Pisco Punch, though it rose to fame in San Francisco, is also poured across Lima today and shares the same Peruvian grape brandy base.