Good_Things_Magazine_AprilMay_2017

34 goodthingsmagazine.com

PISCO

(^) inferno
Add some Peruvian spirit to your
life and cocktail cabinet with
Zoë Perrett’s pisco primer
S
harp, short and strong, the pisco
sour is always a welcome sight
on a cocktail list. But how much
do you know about the
spirit which gives that drink
its kick? Pisco production
started in the 16th century;
the grape brandy a product of
the wine industry established
by conquistadors in Peru and
Chile. Although you’ll most
commonly spot the spirit
whose name means ‘fl ying
bird’ in a sour, it can be sipped
neat, or even used to cure
seafood and marinate meat.
There are three types of
pisco: puro (pure), made
from Quebranta grapes;
mosta verde (green must),
a smooth number made by
distilling grape juice whose
fermentation is interrupted
before all the sugar has
converted to alcohol; and
acholado, made from a blend of grapes.
The la… er is where the greatest variety
lies – the result dependent on the grape
choice, percentages and the
whims of the maker.
The spirit is heavily
celebrated at Pachamama,
where the Masters of Pisco
series is in full swing. Until
September, the London
restaurant’s Papa’s Bar will host
one of Latin America’s fi nest
bartenders each month – each
showcasing a capsule collection
of groundbreaking, pisco (what
else?)-centric cocktails.
Peru-born chef Martin
Morales is a fi rm fan. At
Andina, you can feast on whole
suckling pig in pisco and
goldenberry with cassava and
broad beans; the quinoa fl an
at Casita Andina is served with
pisco-infused dried fruit; and
his Ceviche cookbook includes
BAJO BAR
Use the pisco grid to
determine what you
should order in Lima
Floral’s basement bar.
limalondongroup.com
CEVICHE OLD ST.
The Rail Passion uses a
‘pisco imposter mezcal’ to
add warm smokiness to
the fruity drink.
cevicheuk.com
CHOTTO MATTE
An energy-boosting
Qubana cocktail uses
coca leaf liqueur and
guanabana to give it a lift.
chotto-matte.com
To celebrate Peruvian Independence Day on 28 July,
Martin Morales’ Ceviche is hosting a party where
pisco will be the star of the show.
For more
information and
tickets, visit
cevicheuk.com
T
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Pisco_MATT ZPCATHY ZP.indd 34 02/04/2017 21:15