Cocktails to celebrate Pisco Sour Day

I seem to have stumbled into a series about drinks without even trying. Following up on National Tequila Day and National Rum Day… today is National Pisco Sour Day (Saturday, February 1, 2014). I am told that a few Houston hotspots are celebrating this “holiday” by offering a signature Pisco Infusion at a special price (today only). These includes Latin Bites and Triniti.

More info from the nice people at Portón Pisco

National Pisco Sour Day: February 1st, 2014

Deemed a national holiday in Peru back in 2003, the iconic pisco sour dates back nearly 100 years, but is currently at the forefront of mixology due to the recent revival of pre-Prohibition cocktails. Truly unique to Peruvian heritage – the classic combines pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, a dash of egg whites & bitters – but a few modern-day renditions made with Portón, the finest handcrafted pisco from Peru, are sure to shake things up!

Pisco, also known as the “5^th white spirit,” is a type of brandy cultivated from grapes and its potent concoction with lime juice, simple syrup, a dash of egg whites, and bitters is truly special to Peruvian heritage. The history of the spirit dates back to the 16th century, and the pisco sour is nearly 100 years old, first created by the American ex-pat Victor Morris, and then perfected by Mario Bruguet, who made the velvet-like addition of egg whites to the recipe.

For those of you who want to celebrate at home, here are a few cocktails recipes to try:

Portón Pisco Sour

• 1 ½ parts Portón
• 1 ½ parts Lime juice
• 1 part Simple syrup
• 1 Egg white
• A dash of Bitters

Shake Portón, Lime Juice, simple syrup, and Egg white.

Hometown
Created by Enrique Sanchez
Rose Pistola, San Francisco

• 1 ¾ parts Portón
• ¾ part fresh lemon juice
• ¾ part Darbo Elderflower Syrup
• ½ part Averna
• ½ part egg white
• Angostura bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake vigorously without ice. After dry shake, add ice and shake all ingredients again. Shake contents over a martini glass. Garnish with 1 mint leaf and a dash of Angostura bitters.

Sandra Fernandez

Sandra Fernandez is a professional communicator, tech enthusiast, book lover, and blogger. You can find her main blog at SandraSays.com and more of her writing at HispanicHouston.com.