Pisco Sour
Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 16.4% ABV ∙
The Pisco Sour is a South American sour of pisco, lime and lemon juice, sugar syrup and egg white, finished with aromatic bitters on the foam. A billowing, silky foam cushions a tart, citrus-bright core, finishing dry and bracing with a fragrant lift from a whisper of orange blossom.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Dry shake (without ice) all ingredients: Pisco 60 mlLime juice 15 mlLemon juice 10 mlSugar syrup 15 mlEgg white 20 mlOrange blossom water 2 ml
- Add ice
- Shake all ingredients with ice
- Fine strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with aromatic bitters drops on the surface
Tips
- Dry shake all ingredients without ice first, then shake again with ice — this builds a stable egg-white foam before dilution thins it.
- Fine-strain into a pre-chilled glass so the foam sits on a fully cold drink instead of warming on contact.
- Pour the egg white in unbroken with the other ingredients before the first shake; a separated pour weakens the foam.
History
Historians and drink experts generally credit the Pisco Sour to Victor Vaughen Morris, an American bartender from Salt Lake City who settled in Peru in 1903 and opened Morris' Bar in Lima in 1916. Morris, who liked experimenting with new drinks, is said to have created the cocktail as a Peruvian take on the Whiskey Sour; family lore adds that he first improvised it after running out of whiskey while serving a large crowd at a railway celebration in Cerro de Pasco, though the earliest documented mentions of the drink date only to the early 1920s. Some discrepancy remains over the exact date, with certain writers placing the invention as early as 1915 and others in the 1920s.
The drink familiar today, made with egg white and Angostura bitters, is credited to Mario Bruiget, a Peruvian bartender who worked at Morris' Bar and refined the recipe in the latter part of the 1920s. After Morris' bar failed and he died in 1929, Bruiget and other former employees carried the recipe to rival Lima hotels, including the Hotel Bolívar and the Hotel Maury, whose bar became closely associated with the modern version and is popularly, though not exclusively, credited as its home. A 1903 Peruvian pamphlet listing an egg-white, pisco, sugar, and lime "Cocktail" recipe has since complicated the Morris origin story, suggesting a version of the drink predates his bar.
The Pisco Sour's origin is also disputed between Peru and Chile, each claiming it as a national creation; some Chilean accounts attribute an earlier version to an English steward in 1872. Peru made the first Saturday of February an official Pisco Sour Day beginning in 2003, and the cocktail later gained wider international exposure through American promotion in the mid-20th century.
FAQ
What is a Pisco Sour made of?
Pisco, lime juice, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and egg white, double-shaken and fine-strained into a chilled glass with a few drops of aromatic bitters on the foam. This build also adds a touch of orange blossom water alongside the citrus for a subtle floral lift.
What kind of alcohol is pisco?
Pisco is an unaged grape brandy distilled from fermented grape juice, made primarily in Peru and Chile. Because it skips barrel aging, it keeps a clean, aromatic grape character rather than the vanilla and oak notes found in aged spirits like whiskey or rum.
Are Pisco Sours strong?
This Pisco Sour comes in at about 16.4% ABV, noticeably lighter than a straight spirit pour because the egg white, citrus, and syrup dilute it. It drinks smooth and approachable rather than boozy, though the pisco base still carries through underneath the foam.
Is pisco as strong as vodka?
Bottled pisco is typically around 38-48% ABV, similar to or slightly above standard 40% vodka, so the spirits are comparable in raw strength. Once mixed into this Pisco Sour, though, the citrus, syrup, and egg white bring the finished drink down to roughly 16.4% ABV.
What are some tips for making a perfect Pisco Sour?
Dry shake the pisco, citrus, syrup, and egg white without ice first to build a stable foam, then shake again with ice and fine-strain into a chilled glass. Finish with a few drops of aromatic bitters dragged through the foam on top rather than stirred in, so the pattern holds and the aroma releases as you drink.
What is the difference between a Whiskey Sour and a Pisco Sour?
A Whiskey Sour is built on whiskey, while a Pisco Sour uses pisco, an unaged grape brandy, giving it a lighter, more floral profile instead of whiskey's oak and grain notes. Both are shaken sours with citrus and often egg white, but this Pisco Sour also adds a touch of orange blossom water and finishes with aromatic bitters on the foam rather than a cherry or citrus garnish.
