Pisco is a clear distilled grape brandy made from the quebranta grape grown in the Ica valley, and around the Pisco and Ica rivers. Located three hundred kilometers to the south of Lima, the favorable soil and mild climate of the Ica valley made an ideal home for the wineries which were established by Peru's Spanish and Italian immigrant families.
This is my own recipe which is really quite standard. The only difference is that commercially bottled jarabe de goma (sugar syrup) is more commonly used. I prefer the home-brewed variety.
To make the sugar syrup:
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tbsp water
For the drink:
- 7 ½ oz (225 ml) Pisco
- 2 ½ oz (75 ml) key lime juice
- 1 egg white
- Ice
- Angostura Bitters
To prepare the sugar syrup:
Put ½ cup of sugar in a small saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water, just enough to moisten the sugar. Bring the mixture to a slow boil and while stirring, cook until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Pour the key lime juice and the Pisco into the warm sugar syrup and stir thoroughly to blend the ingredients completely. Pour the mix into a blender jar and add just enough ice to double the volume of liquid in the glass.
Blend on high for an additional 30 seconds to crush the ice. Add one egg white and blend on high for one minute. Transfer to a pitcher and serve immediately in either old-fashioned or white wine glasses. Traditionally, a drop of Angostura Bitters is placed in the middle of the foam in each glass.
The essential mix is 3 parts Pisco to 1 part key lime juice and 1 part sugar syrup: you can use this proportion to increase the recipe to produce any number of drinks.
Tip: A fourth measure of pisco may be added for a stronger drink. If you like, the edge can be taken off this stronger version by adding a touch more sugar syrup.
This recipe was taken from "El Arte de la Cocina Peruana" (The Art of Peruvian Cuisine), with the author's permission. The book features over 100m Peruvian recipes and has been prepared with help from some of Peru's top chefs. The book is available in English and Spanish. If you wish to buy a copy, please contact the Fundacion Felipe Antonio Custer at the following e-mail a: fundacionfac@terra.com.pe or telephone (51 1) 261-0603. The revenue earned from the sale of the book will go towards the program "Aprendamos Juntos" (Let's Learn Together), created by the Foundation to provide pyschological and educational support for children with learning difficulties in schools on Lima's outskirts.
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