Pisco is as traditional as Arroz con Pollo ( Rice with Chicken ), Cebiche or Llamas in Peru . Pisco Sour is made of Pisco, sugar, egg’s whites and lemon drops. It is always the complement of a good Peruvian dish, served in the best restaurants of the city.

But what would you say if we told you that Pisco is being considered a traditional beverage, if not official, in Chile since the middle of last year?

Indeed, Chilean Pisco producers started a two million-dollar advertising campaign in October 1998 in the United States in order to promote Chilean Pisco. The campaign focused on spreading the slogan " Drink Chilean Pisco".

According to British Encyclopedia, Pisco is a tasty moscato eau-de- vie ( clear brandy distilled from fermented fruit juice ), prepared since XVI century with must ( black grape ) produced in Ica Valley in Peru, 300 k.m. to the south of Lima. Its name comes from Pisco Port, located in Ica. According to Real Academia de la Lengua Española, Pisco is an "eau-de-vie made in a peruvian place called Pisco".

In 1547, Spaniards planted "negra corriente" grape vineyards in the south of Lima making use of the waters of Achirana, a small watershed of Ica River, built by Inca Pachacutec during Inca Times. The result of the crops was so successful that in only 10 years, Peru was already exporting wine to Argentina, Chile, and Spain. Since Europeans missed their native liquors, they decided to make a local brandy so they used Quebranta grape ( genetic mutation of black grape ) in order to prepare it . The result was a strong, pure, aromatic brandy that later would be known, all over the world, by the name of the port where it was shipped: Pisco.

According to experts, Chilean Pisco can not be compared with the Peruvian one. The former is sweeter and lighter and this is mainly because the producers add water in order to reduce the proof of alcohol of this ancient eau-de-vie. The authentic Peruvian Pisco has a higher proof of alcohol and it is made of Quebranta grape. You can not find this kind of grape in the neighboring southern country.

In fact, Peru has the appropriate soil, weather as well as the tradition to make Pisco become an incomparable and special beverage. All this gives us the right to call it Pisco.

Unfortunately, the Agrarian Reform of the 70’s, the farming economical problems and the hyperinflation of the 80’s as well as the irrigation water pollution and the growing of other more profitable products than grapes, affected Pisco production in Peru. Nowadays, there are only 800 hundred producers of this liquor in the province of Pisco, according to figures provided by the Commission of Exporting Promotion ( Prompex ).

The Chilean have taken advantage of this situation in order to promote its Pisco in the international market, especially in the United States and therefore, lots of people fond of this beverage believe that it comes from Chile.

In order to face this problem, Instituto de Defensa de la Competencia y la Propiedad Intelectual del Peru – Indecopi ( Institute of Defense of Competence and Copyrights of Peru ) has started a campaign in order to vindicate the title and origin of Pisco worldwide. In its demand, it is mentioned that in Peru, there is a city called Pisco ( bird in Quechua ). The grape, Pisco is made of, has been grown since immemorial times. Pisco is a Peruvian word used since XVI Century and even since Incas Times.

Moreover, Peruvian press did not play down the credibility of the promotional Chilean campaign and considered it immoral. They reminded the consumers that Pisco is as Peruvian as Machu Picchu.

For further information you can visit the web site :

We hope that this time Peruvian rights be recognized, meanwhile we leave you with the original recipe of Pisco Sour.

• 3 measures Pisco.
• 1 measure lemon juice ( just squeezed ).
• 2/3 measure white sugar .
• 1 egg’s white .
• Crushed ice .

Preparation