Episode 167

This is a highball, so you’re going to build this drink in a highball glass with ice by adding first the Pisco, then the lime juice, and then the ginger beer. Give it a quick stir with a sustainable metal or bamboo straw, and if you’re feeling really fancy, maybe float a few dashes of bitters on top and garnish with a lime wheel.

Now, if you’re squinting at this and saying, hey – that’s just a moscow mule with pisco! – well, you’re a little bit right. But according to Imbibe.com, the Chilcano cocktail has a history that goes all the way back to the 1800s when Italian immigrants in Peru started enjoying a beverage called the buonjiourno (which was a combination of grappa, lime juice, and ginger ale). Come to find out, either the Italians ran out of grappa, or they were simply seduced by the delicious Pisco available locally, and we saw a switch in base spirits.

The word “Chilcano” actually refers to a Peruvian soup made with fish heads, and since both the soup and the drink were imbibed as hangover cures, you can see why the name stuck. Fast forward to the cocktail renaissance, and suddenly you see a huge proliferation of high quality ginger beer on the market, and it’s not hard to imagine how the drink morphed from its initial grappa-and-ginger-ale formulation to the version you’ll find on most cocktail menus today.

Show Notes

Pisco is a brandy (or grape eau de vie originating in the South American country of Peru. It has over 400 years of history, beginning with its origins on the ships of Spanish missionaries, evolving to become an incredibly important export in Peru’s Pacific trade in the 1800s, and finally enjoying a resurgence thanks to the Cocktail Renaissance.

This spirit is produced in the desert valleys of Peru, south of the equator. The climate provides a lot of sunlight, and the grapes used for the spirit generate a great deal of sugar, which is not great for wine but is ideal for brandy distillation. This terroir is catalyzed by a geographical denomination of origin that necessitates native yeast fermentation, prohibits barrel aging, and restricts grape usage to a group of eight approved varietals, which produces spirits rich in mineral and fruit flavors and high in purity.

About Macchu Pisco

Each bottle of Macchu Pisco has 10 or more pounds of grapes per bottle. According to Melanie, the farmers are paid above market rate for their grapes, and no chemical sprays are ever used to treat the fruit. The portfolio includes several different bottles and price points, including the premium Macchu Pisco, the super premium La Diablada line, and the luxury Ñusta bottling, which is packaged in a handmade bottle and made in extremely small quantities.

Macchu Pisco Tasting

We tasted through six different expressions during this interview and have provided our tasting notes for you below.

Macchu Pisco – Green, pear aromas on the nose, which largely carry through and ripen on the palate, with a medium-long finish that tastes of orchard fruit peel.

La Diablada (Acholado) – A blend of several of the most important grapes in Peru (anywhere from 3 – 5 varieties, depending on the year), with the primary varietals being Quebranta, Moscatel and Italia. It is named after the dance of good and evil danced during Carnival. Incredibly soft and floral on the nose, with abundant rose perfume and a hint of honeydew melon. On the palate, round and soft, with grapey notes emerging. The finish is even longer than the base expression, with less astringency.

La Diablada Italia – Made using only the Italia (or Muscat of Alexandria) grape, this expression is an exercise in focus. The nose bursts with muscatel sweetness and citrus peel, with the palate presenting an exquisitely round, sweet flavor highlighted by honeysuckle and lees. The finish is, again, medium-long and incredibly mellow.

La Diablada Amelia’s Centenarian (Acholado) – Dedicated to Melanie’s Abuelita, this is a blend of all 8 varietals permitted for use in Pisco. On the nose, abundant lychee and prickly pear with a bit of characteristic tartaric acid brightness. On the palate, it tastes almost like a watermelon Jolly Rancher; incredibly juicy but wonderfully complex. The finish is, like the others, long and pleasant.

Founding Farmers Pisco – Blended in partnership with bartender John Arroyo, with a heavy influence by the Italia grape. On the nose, it’s distinctly desserty, compared to the fruit and floral profiles of the other expressions: bready, with cacao and flan notes. On the palate, it’s rich and robust, with the grape emerging to elevate what would otherwise be a very dark flavor profile. The finish, like the nose, is rich and yeasty.

Ñusta – Macchu PIsco’s luxury expression. The nose is bursting with orange blossom and Turkish delight with hints of caramel. On the palate, it balances the grape and the confectionary flavors masterfully. The finish is extremely long and complex, inviting you to sip, consider, sip, consider.