By Camper English

Pisco Sour

Once upon a time, pisco was incredibly popular in San Francisco. The spirit was brought up to California by sailors stopping in Peru on their way to join the Gold Rush. Currently, S.F. and other cocktail-forward cities are experiencing a pisco renaissance with variations of the Pisco Punch and Pisco Sour showing up on drink menus. Pisco is produced in Peru and Chile today, and is a grape brandy made from the whole grapes rather than just the juice (like cognac) or just the solid grape leftovers after the juice is squeezed out (like grappa). So far you can count yourself lucky if you find any pisco at all on your local liquor store shelves, but I predict soon we’ll see a rainbow of aromatic and nonaromatic pisco available including single and mixed grape varieties. Try the classic Pisco Sour to prepare yourself for the forthcoming pisco explosion.

2 oz. BarSol Pisco
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. simple syrup (50/50 sugar and water)
1 small egg white
Angostura bitters

Shake all ingredients except bitters with ice vigorously until the liquid becomes frothy. Pour into a glass and add a few drops of bitters on top.