Happy Friday, friends! This is my last post of my “Peru week” series. All week I’ve been talking our trip to Peru and I shared our trip report, the best things to bring home and an online shop where you can score some of your own Peruvian home goods. What better way to celebrate the end of the week with a cocktail recipe? A pisco cocktail, of course.
My Favorite Pisco Cocktail
Peru’s national spirit is pisco and the national drink is a pisco sour. Ever since getting sick from a pisco sour in Argentina I can’t seem to get past the key ingredient that creates the foamy consistency in a pisco sour – egg whites. Now, of course, I couldn’t resist my Peruvian bartenders’ insistence that I try his pisco sour, but I am just not a fan. However, I was delighted to discover a new cocktail in Peru that I do love, and that my friends is a chilcano de pisco. In case you haven’t figured it out by now, Peru is all about their pisco. Pisco is a clear brandy made from grapes produced in Peru (and Chile). Lucky for us, we can find our own slice of Peru at the local liquor store.
A chilcano de pisco is made using pisco, lime juice and ginger ale. Here’s where it gets interesting. You know how we have all those fun vodka flavors like strawberry, tangerine, pear and even ridiculous ones like cotton candy? Well, similarly, Peruvians infuse their pisco with local fruits and herbs like eucalyptus, lemongrass, passion fruit and coca leaf to name a few. You will see bottles of colorful pisco infusions (macerados) lined up on the bar at Peruvian restaurants and bars. It’s fascinating and it gives you unique flavor options for your pisco cocktails. 😉
Chilcano de Pisco Cocktail
Recipe and Instructions:
Add 2 oz pisco to a highball glass filled with ice. Add juice of one lime. Top off with ginger ale, stir and enjoy! I used this pisco but this one is great too. Some chilcano recipes call for ginger beer and angostura bitters, but my most of my Peruvian bartenders used ginger ale and I find it works and tastes great! So, if you’re looking to try a new cocktail, make it a chilcano de pisco, my favorite pisco cocktail. There are lots of other fun ways to use pisco too so definitely give it a shot! See what I did there? 😉 
There ya have it. A chilcano de pisco.
Thanks friends for following along. I hope you enjoyed my series all about Peru. It was definitely the trip of a lifetime. I’ll be back next week to share some fun updates to the Daly Digs. Happy weekend. Cheers!
