Recap: Pisco Tasting Room at Tales of the Cocktail
By Chilled Magazine
Guests attending this year’s Pisco tasting room at Tales of the Cocktail, hosted by the Trade Commission of Peru in Miami, entered WWPD? (What Would Pisco Do?), explored how Pisco could be used in cocktails all year round.
Going beyond the typically expected classic Pisco Sour construction, a cadre of America’s best bartenders representing the Trade Commission and five different Pisco brands (Tony Abou-Ganim and Dale DeGroff for the Trade Commission; Jackson Cannon for Pisco Porton; Nathan Dalton for BarSol; Megan Deschaine for Cuatro G’s; Lynnette Marrero for Macchu Pisco; Aaron Polsky for Pisco 100) created Pisco cocktails that ranged from stirred and boozy to blended and refreshing; including a wide variety of ingredients from The Perfect Purée Passion Fruit Puree to nutmeg, pomegranate, apple juice, orange juice, lemon, lime, eggs, cream and Brovo Amaro along the way.
The packed tasting room was thankfully large enough to leave room for the spontaneous dancing that broke out as attendees sipped and moved to the beats of Peru’s lively chicha music. Everyone enjoyed tasting and learning more about the increasingly popular native spirit of Peru which, for a second year in a row, won endorsements from judges at the San Francisco Spirits Competition, where it was named Best in Show Unaged White Spirit.
Here are the cocktails that were being served up at the event:
Delicia
By Tony Abou-Ganim
Ingredents:
- 1 1/2 oz. La Diablada Italia
- 3/4 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur
- 2 oz. Cloudy Unfiltered Apple Juice
- 1 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Sour (2 parts Fresh Filtered Lemon Juice – 1 part Simple Syrup)
- Chilled Fever-Tree Ginger Beer
- 1 dash Dale DeGroff Pimento bitters
- Apple & Lemon Slices for Garnish
Preparation: In a mixing glass add Pisco, Canton, cloudy apple juice, Dale DeGroff bitters and fresh lemon sour; shake with ice until well blended. Strain into an ice filled Collins glass. Top with chilled ginger beer, stir to mix and garnish with two slices of apple and lemon.
Coctel Algeria
By Dale DeGroff – Adapted from the La Fonda Del Sol menu 1960
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. BarSol Quebranta Pisco
- 3/4 oz. Marie Brizard Apry
- 1 oz. Fresh orange Juice
- 1/4 oz. Lime Juice
- dash Regan’s Orange Bitters No. 6
Preparation: Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass. Flame an orange peel over the top and drop into the drink.
A Huevo
By Nathan Dalton
Ingredients:
- 3 oz. Leche de Monja*
- 3/4 oz. Passion Fruit Puree
- Fill Ginger Beer (3-4 oz.)
Preparation: Build on crushed ice and top with a jambu flower nestled in an orchid.
*Leche de Monja
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 oz. Pisco Quebranta
- 1 1/4 oz. Egg Lime Mixture
- 1/2 oz. Falernum
Preparation: Cover uncracked eggs in lime juice for two weeks. Lime juice will eat through the shell. Blend eggs and lime juice mixture and strain. Mix 2 part egg/lime juice mixture with 2 parts Barsol Quebranta and 1 part Falernum.
The Llama’s Pajamas
By Nathan Dalton
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. Fresh-Made Coconut Milk*
- 1 oz. Sugar
- 1 oz. BarSol Acholado
- 1 Egg
- 1 oz. Heavy Cream
- 1 oz. Whole Milk
- Grated Nutmeg on Top
Preparation: Shake all ingredients together. Pour over ice into rocks glass.
*Fresh-Made Coconut Milk
Ingredients:
- Pulp of One Coconut
- 1/3 Weight of Pulp in Coconut Water
Preparation: Mix together in a small pot over low heat until simmering. Remove from
heat and chill before use.
Precious Punch
By Aaron Polsky
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Pisco 100 Acholado
- 1/4 oz. Brovo Amaro #14
- 1/2 oz. Giffard Abricot
Preparation: Stir with ice, strain into coupe.
East of Ica
By Lynnette Marrero
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. La Diablada Italia
- 3/4 oz. Amontillado Sherry
- 1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/4 oz. Fresh Pomegranate Juice
- 1/2 oz. Cinamon Simple Syrup
Preparation: Shake with ice. Serve in a coupe and garnish with a dried apple slice and pomegranate seeds.
Solo Rosa
By Jackson Cannon
Ingredients:
- 2 oz. La Caravedo Torontel
- 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice
- 3/4 oz. Split Honey and Ginger Syrup
- dash Peychaud’s Bitters
Preparation: Shaken over ice and strained into a cocktail glass.
Maracuya Freestyle
By Megan Deschaine
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Cuatro G Acholado
- 1 oz. Giffard Passion Fruit Liqueur
- 1/2 oz. Lime Juice
- 1/4 oz. Lemon Juice
- 1/4 oz. St Elizabeth Allspice Dram
- Fever-Tree Ginger Beer
- Nutmeg, Grated
Preparation: Shake all ingredients with ice. Serve on the rocks, float with ginger beer, and garnish with a fresh grating of nutmeg.