IBA
Pisco Sour – IBA
Shake ∙ 3 min ∙ 18% ABV ∙
The Pisco Sour is a South American sour made with pisco, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, and egg white, shaken and strained into a cocktail glass. Frothy and tart, the pisco's grape brandy warmth sits under a citrus snap, with a silky egg-white foam softening the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Pisco 60 mlLemon juice 30 mlSugar syrup 20 mlEgg white 1 pc
- Strain into the chilled goblet glass
- Garnish with an aromatic bitters drop
Tips
- Shake hard and long — the egg white needs vigorous agitation to emulsify into a stable, silky foam.
- Add the aromatic bitters drop onto the foam right before serving; it sits on top and fades quickly once stirred in.
- Pre-chill the glass before straining so the foam holds its texture instead of collapsing against warm glass.
History
The "IBA" designation marks the International Bartenders Association's official codification of the Pisco Sour rather than a separate invention. The IBA lists the drink among its recognized cocktails, giving it a standardized specification of pisco, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and egg white; it was long grouped under the organization's "New Era Drinks" category before being moved to "Contemporary Classics" in the 2020 update to the official list.
The cocktail itself traces to early 20th-century Lima, Peru, where American bar owner Victor Vaughen Morris, who had immigrated from Salt Lake City, is generally credited with serving a pisco-based riff on the whiskey sour at his Morris' Bar, which opened in 1916. Peruvian bartender Mario Bruiget is often credited with later refining the recipe into the version closer to today's, including the addition of egg white and bitters. The drink's exact origin remains disputed between Peru and Chile, with each country maintaining its own version and its own national Pisco Sour Day; the IBA's certified specification follows the Peruvian build.
FAQ
What do you mix Pisco Sour with?
Pisco is shaken hard with lemon juice and egg white to build a frothy foam, then strained into a chilled glass with a drop of aromatic bitters on top as garnish.
What is a Peruvian pisco sour cocktail?
It is Peru's national cocktail, built on pisco, a clear grape brandy distilled from South American wine grapes. The classic sour formula of spirit, citrus, and sweetener is shaken with egg white for body and finished with a few drops of aromatic bitters on the foam.
What does IBA stand for in cocktails?
IBA stands for the International Bartenders Association, the body that maintains an official list of recognized world cocktails and their specifications.
What kind of alcohol is Pisco Sour?
It is made with pisco, an unaged brandy distilled from grapes, giving the drink about 18% ABV once shaken with ice and diluted. That places it in the same lighter-strength range as most classic sours, well below a neat spirit pour.
How is a Pisco Sour traditionally served?
It is served up in a chilled cocktail glass, without ice, topped with a few drops of aromatic bitters on the foam rather than a fruit garnish. The bitters sit on the surface for aroma and appearance, not stirred into the drink.
