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A classic cocktail, the Pisco Sour has a balanced sweet, tart, and herbal flavor. A frothy egg white gives it a creamy mouthfeel, and a few drops of bitters finish it off with notes of clove and cinnamon. You’ll love this refreshing South American cocktail!
The pisco sour is a popular drink throughout South America, especially in Peru and Chile. The origins of the pisco sour are a bit unclear, but many believe that the cocktail was created in Peru in the early 20th century by U.S. expat bartender Victor Morris. Pisco sours contain the hallmark ingredients of a classic sour — a spirit, citrus, and sweetener — as well as a frothy egg white and bitters.
The cocktail is refreshing and smooth and goes down easily! It’s very simple to mix and doesn’t require any fancy mixology skills. If you can shake a cocktail shaker, you can make an excellent pisco sour! For more cocktail recipes, try a gimlet, gin fizz, or caipirinha.
Ingredients
Here are the main building blocks for a pisco sour cocktail! You can find the full ingredient list with volumes in the recipe.
Pisco — pisco, a grape brandy with a floral, herbaceous flavor profile, is the star of this recipe! It pairs so well with fresh lime juice and the creamy egg white.
Lime juice — freshly squeezed lime juice is a must; do not use bottled juice.
Egg white — a shaken egg white gives the drink an incredibly velvety finish. Use a freshly cracked and separated egg white (not from a carton of liquid egg whites).
Bitters — a dash of bitters adds a subtle spiced, herbaceous flavor and makes the signature decoration on top of the cocktail.
Pisco Sour Recipe
Equipment
- cocktail shaker
- Cocktail strainer
Ingredients
- 3 ounces pisco
- 1 ounce lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon egg white
- ¾ ounce simple syrup
- Angostura bitters to serve
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker without ice, combine the pisco, lime juice, egg white, and simple syrup. Cover and shake vigorously for 10 to 20 seconds, until the egg white is foamy.
- Add ice to the cocktail shaker, cover and shake for another 10 to 20 seconds until the cocktail is well chilled.
- Strain into a chilled cocktail glass, such as a coupe or rocks glass. Top with a few dashes of Angostura bitters to serve.
Notes
- Chill the cocktail glass. Place the glass into the freezer 30 minutes before you start working on this pisco sour cocktail recipe to keep the shaken cocktail cold when served.
- Use a bartender trick for a frothy pisco cocktail. Like making a whiskey sour, you’ll use a technique called “dry shaking” to make this cocktail. Dry shaking simply means the ingredients are combined and shaken in a cocktail shaker without ice. This helps aerate the egg white, so it becomes frothy. The ingredients are shaken again with ice to chill them before being strained into a glass.
- Add more syrup: If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, don’t hesitate to add more simple syrup to suit your taste.
Nutrition
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How To Make A Pisco Sour
1. To a cocktail shaker without ice, add the pisco.
2. Then, pour in the fresh lime juice.
3. Follow with the egg white and simple syrup. Cover and dry shake vigorously for 10 to 20 seconds until foamy.
4. Add ice, cover, and shake again until nicely chilled.
5. Strain into a chilled coupe or rocks glass.
6. Top the pisco cocktail with a few drops of Angostura bitters.
What is Pisco?
Pisco is a type of unaged South American brandy made of grapes. It is typically clear or yellowish in color. It can vary in flavor depending on where it is made– Peruvian pisco and Chilean pisco are made with different grape varieties. In this recipe, I use BarSol pisco, which makes it a Peruvian pisco sour. The most widely known use of pisco is in the pisco sour, but you can also drink it neat or use it in other cocktails!
Making The Signature Bitters Float
A few drops of aromatic bitters add depth and complexity to this drink. You can simply drop the bitters on top of the foam in a line or pattern. Or swirl them into a more complex pattern by dragging a toothpick through the drops on the egg white foam.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Chill the cocktail glass. Place the glass into the freezer 30 minutes before you start working on this pisco sour cocktail recipe to keep the shaken cocktail cold when served.
- Use a bartender trick for a frothy pisco cocktail. Like making a whiskey sour, you’ll use a technique called “dry shaking” to make this cocktail. Dry shaking simply means the ingredients are combined and shaken in a cocktail shaker without ice. This helps aerate the egg white, so it becomes frothy. The ingredients are shaken again with ice to chill them before being strained into a glass.
- Add more syrup: If you prefer a sweeter cocktail, don’t hesitate to add more simple syrup to suit your taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
I use Angostura bitters in this recipe because it is easily accessible, and I like the flavor, but Amargo bitters, a type of Peruvian bitters, are traditionally used in this cocktail. Peychaud’s bitters would work as well.
Many recipes call for the juice of key limes due to its sweetness and similar flavor to Peruvian limones (green lemons traditionally used in this cocktail). You could also use fresh lemon juice.
If you don’t like consuming raw eggs, aquafaba (liquid from cooked chickpeas) works as a great egg white substitute in this recipe. It’s a great option if you want to make a vegan pisco sour! It won’t be quite as frothy, but it will add the silky mouthfeel you’re looking for. Follow the same directions just simply replace the egg white.
If you’ve tried this pisco sour recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
