Pisco Sour (blended)
Blend ∙ 4 min ∙ 11.6% ABV ∙
This blended Pisco Sour whips pisco, fresh lime juice, powdered sugar and egg white with crushed ice, finished with aromatic bitters on top. Crushed ice whips the mix into a frosty, airy froth, tart and lightly sweet, with a silky egg-white crown that softens each cold, tangy sip.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Blend Lime juice 30 ml and Powdered sugar 6 bsp to dissolve sugar
- Add Pisco 60 mlEgg white 15 ml and a scoop crushed ice
- Blend again
- Pour into the chilled glass
- Garnish with aromatic bitters drops on the surface
Tips
- Blend the lime juice and powdered sugar first until the sugar fully dissolves, before adding the pisco and egg white.
- Use pasteurized egg white and a full scoop of crushed ice in the second blend for a thick, stable foam.
- Pre-chill the glass so the frothy blend stays cold instead of thinning out as soon as it's poured.
History
This blended take on the Pisco Sour follows a version served at the Hotel Mossone in Huacachina, Peru, credited to bartender Eduardo Huaman Tito, whose recipe was voted the best pisco sour in Peru and later adapted for American readers by a Washington Post spirits columnist. Blending the ingredients rather than shaking them produces the drink's characteristic froth without the wrist work of a traditional shake.
The Pisco Sour itself is generally credited to Victor Vaughen Morris, an American-born bar owner in Lima who is said to have created it as an adaptation of the whiskey sour using Peruvian pisco in the 1920s at his Morris' Bar. Its exact origin remains disputed between Peru and Chile, each claiming both the pisco spirit and the cocktail as a national creation.
FAQ
Can you make a Pisco Sour in a blender?
Yes, this version is made entirely in a blender rather than a shaker: the lime juice and sugar are blended first to dissolve the sugar, then the pisco and egg white are added with crushed ice and blended again before pouring into a chilled glass.
How do you make a Pisco Sour in a blender?
Blend fresh lime juice with powdered sugar until the sugar dissolves, then add pisco, egg white, and a scoop of crushed ice and blend again. Pour into a pre-chilled cocktail glass and finish with a few drops of aromatic bitters on the surface.
What do you mix a Pisco Sour with?
It's blended with fresh lime juice and pisco, with egg white giving it a frothy texture, then finished with aromatic bitters dropped on the surface rather than mixed in.
What kind of alcohol is in a Pisco Sour?
The base spirit is pisco, a South American grape brandy distilled from fermented grape juice. This build comes in at about 11.6% ABV, softer than a straight pour of pisco because of the citrus, egg white, and crushed ice that go into it.
Is egg white necessary for a Pisco Sour?
It is not strictly necessary, but it is what gives this drink its signature frothy texture and silky mouthfeel. This recipe uses pasteurized egg white blended with crushed ice, which also helps stabilize the foam that the bitters sit on top of.
Can you use a blender instead of a shaker for cocktails?
Yes, a blender can replace a shaker for citrus-and-egg-white drinks like this Pisco Sour, and it produces an especially thick, frothy texture when crushed ice is blended in. It will not give the same clear, chilled result as a stirred spirit-forward drink, where a blender would over-dilute and cloud it.
Is pisco as strong as tequila?
Pisco and tequila are both typically bottled around 40% ABV, so the base spirits are comparably strong. Once blended into this cocktail with lime juice and egg white, the drink itself is much lighter, landing at about 11.6% ABV.
