Once obscure in Australia, pisco is having a moment – and it’s easy to see why.
Brandy is a beautiful drink, but it’s not necessarily cool. Brandy (and particularly its big-name versions like Cognac and Armagnac) leans more towards being classy, sophisticated and worthy of slow-sipped savouring. Pisco is brandy, too, but not at all like those old-school European versions. Instead, pisco is a South American (mostly Peruvian or Chilean) version that does things a little differently – it’s brandy with a teen-movie makeover. It’s cool, it’s different and it’s starting to crop up a whole lot more on our shores.
Let’s get to the bottom of brandy’s cooler cousin and see what all the fuss is about.
When we say that pisco is brandy, that just means it’s a spirit distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice. Pisco is, specifically, a brandy made only from wine – there’s even a list of eight approved grape varieties that can be used if the pisco is from Peru. If the pisco is made in Chile, there are fewer restrictions, which has caused a bit of beverage-based beef between the nations, but they’re still two sides of the same coin.
Whether it’s from Peru or Chile, the big thing that sets pisco apart from classic brandies is the colour. See, pisco is clear because it’s not aged in oak. This makes pisco a unique spirit in the brandy world – but more on that in a sec.
This is where pisco really sets itself apart – particularly in Peru, which is what we’ll refer to here. Pisco starts as wine made from one or more of the allowed grape varieties (quebranta, negra criolla, uvina, mollar, moscatel, torontel, Italia and albilla), which are used because Peru’s high temperatures turn them into little sugar bombs. High-sugar grapes make good pisco, it turns out.
For Peruvian pisco, the wine must be distilled only once and distilled to proof – that is, it has to come out of the still at the strength it’ll go into the bottle. No diluting allowed. Once it’s distilled, the pisco is then left to ‘rest’ for several months in a clay container. Unlike our classic brandy, pisco is unaged, and that’s by law in Peru. In Chile, though, all bets are off.
We won’t go too far down the rabbit hole, but there are three types of pisco in Peru (Puro, Acholado and Mosto Verde) classified by the sweetness of the wine and whether the pisco is a blend or not. Add to that the eight types of grapes that can be used, and there is a big old spectrum of flavours possible for pisco. If we’re talking Chilean pisco, with its relaxed approach, the possibilities are even broader.
Generally, though, you’ll find flavours like sweet tropical and stone fruits, candied notes, vanilla, herbs and baking spices. The range of punchy flavours makes pisco a serious candidate for cocktails, but good-quality pisco also tends to have a soft, pillowy texture that makes it great for sipping neat. Locals attribute this to the lack of ageing and the fact that pisco isn’t diluted – it’s just distilled to its final strength.
If you want to get a sense of any spirit, it’s always worth sampling neat. Just like brandy or pisco’s unaged brandy cousins like grappa, a good way to serve it neat is in a wide glass that gives it plenty of air. From there, small sips will let you home in on the flavours and textures that make pisco unique.
For our money, though, the best way to serve pisco is in a cocktail. Here are a few of our favourites, but consider this list far from exhaustive.
The Negroni format is endlessly-tweakable and we really love this colour-confused version of the OG (pictured). Here, pisco combines with limoncello, Suze, yellow Chartreuse and sweet white vermouth for a citrusy, floral cocktail with plenty of punch.
You might have heard of this one – it’s now Peru’s national cocktail. Sour cocktails are always a blend of citrus juice, sugar and a spirit (like the Whiskey Sour, which blends lemon juice, sugar and American whiskey) and the fruity punch of pisco works perfectly alongside lime juice in that timeless format.
El Capitan
The captain of cocktails and our hearts, the El Capitan is basically a Manhattan with pisco instead of rye. Here, pisco, sweet red vermouth and bitters blend for a complex twist on the old classic.
