Hot, humid, and over 90 degrees. That’s a typical, sizzling DC summer for you. Defeat the heat and cool off with a refreshing Pisco Sour! Make it yourself with these master recipes, or visit WL’s recommended Pisco Sour hot-spots.
By Anna Jacoby
CEO Melanie Asher's company Macchu Pisco is the largest distributor of Pisco in the US. She's a good person to know!
Ceiba Restaurant's Classic Pisco Sour
Ceiba
The winners of the Pisco Sour Mix-Off contest at Washington Life’s “Best of Peru” party reveal how they concocted this delectable cocktail.
CLASSIC PISCO SOUR
1.5 oz Machu Pisco
.5 teaspoon powdered egg white
sour mix
Build drink in a mixing glass, add ice (filled to the top), 1.5 ounces of Machu Pisco, .5 teaspoon of powdered egg white and fill with sour mix. Shake vigorously and pour into a highball glass. Garnish with dashes of Angostura Bitters on top of the foam. Serve immediately.
Cieba Restaurant 701 14th St. NW Washington, DC 20005
Mio Restaurant
Mio creates a classic and spicy pisco. Here’s how.
CLASSIC MACCHU PISCO SOUR
20z Macchu Pisco Spirit
2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
½ oz of Egg Whites
10z Simple Syrup
In a cocktail shaker, add a scoop of ice. Add all ingredients, shake very well for about 15 seconds. Then, strain into a martini glass and top it off with angostura (bitters).
SPICY MACHU PISCO SOUR
Mio Restaurant's Spicy Macchu Pisco
20z Machu Pisco Spirit
1oz Fresh Lime Juice
1oz of Aji Amarillo Spicy Syrup
10z of Passion Fruit
In a cocktail shaker, add all ingredients, shake very well for at least 10 seconds, pour into a martini glass and finish with a lime zest.
Mio Restaurant 1110 Vermont Ave. NW Washington, DC 20005
Farmers & Fishers
PISCO DE AGRICULTURA
Ingredients:
2 oz. Macchu Pisco
3/4 oz. Grand Marnier
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
2-3 strawberry pieces
2-4 small jalapeno pieces
2 dashes of orange bitters
a pinch of cracked pepper
Washington Harbour, Georgetown Waterfront, 3000 K Street NW, Washington DC, 20007
A view inside trendy restaurant Cafe Atlantico
Café Atlantico
Café Atlantico shares their classic Macchu Pisco Sour and their wildly popular special Strawberry Basil Pisco (rumored to be back on the menu soon)! In addition, pisco buffs who want a unique pisco at their event can get Cafe Atlantico’s through Jose Andres Catering with Ridgewells. Tasty!
STRAWBERRY BASIL PISCO SOUR
This wildly popular special at Café Atlantico is sure to please.
Ingredients
For the Basil Simple Syrup
1 c sugar
1.5c water
1 bunch basil
1 whole lemon peeled
For the Strawberry Basil Pisco Sour
1.5oz Macchu Pisco
1 oz fresh strawberry juice
.5 oz Basil simple syrup
.5 oz lemon juice
.25 oz egg whites
Preparation
For the Basil Simple Syrup
In a small saucepan over medium high heat, combine sugar and water. Stir to dissolve, but do not bring to a boil. Once sugar has dissolved, remove from heat, add basil and peel of a whole lemon. Let steep for 15 minutes – half hour. Remove basil and lemon peel & Discard. Cool and bottle the simple syrup. This recipe will make more than is necessary for home use, so it can be kept in your refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Makes an excellent sweetener for lemonade or iced tea.
For the Strawberry Basil Pisco Sour
In a shaking glass/tin with shake egg white vigorously for 30 seconds or until frothy; add ice, pisco, strawberry juice, basil simple syrup, lemon juice. Shake vigorously to combine. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a piece of micro basil.
MACCHU PISCO SOUR
Ingredients
For the sour mix
fresh lime juice
simple syrup
soda water
For the Macchupisco sour
2 ounces Macchupisco pisco
2 ounces sour mix
1 tsp powdered sugar
.5 ounce egg white
3 drops Angoustura bitters
Preparation
Add egg white to shaker with no ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds or until frothy. (You can also froth the eggs whites this using an immersion blender. Pour into shaker once frothy.) Add pisco, sour mix, powdered sugar and ice. Shake to combine. Strain into chilled cocktail glass and garnish with three drops of angostura bitters.
Café Atlantico 405 8th St. NW Washington, DC 20004
Blue Duck Tavern and The Lounge at Park Hyatt's Peach Pisco
Blue Duck Tavern, The Lounge at Park Hyatt
Coming to the Brunch Summer Cocktails menu, this Peach Pisco Sour sounds (and looks) positively delectable!
PEACH PISCO SOUR
1oz. Simple Syrup
1oz Pisco La Diablada
4 slices of fresh peach
1 teaspoon peach puree
Splash of fresh lemon juice
Egg white
Preparation
Slightly muddle the fresh peach with simple syrup, add the rest of the ingredients and ice. Shake well and strain in a champagne glass. Garnish with a slice of peach.
Blue Duck Tavern, The Lounge at Park Hyatt 1201 24th Street Northwest Washington, DC 20037
Jason Strich of Funxion Restaurant at the Best of Peru.
Funxion Restaurant
FUNXION SOUR
Ingredients
La Diablada
Acai berry
Sour mix
Egg white
Funxion Restaurant, 1309 F St NW, Washington, DC 20004
Las Canteras
SOUR HAAS
Ingredients:
Macchu Pisco
Avocado
Simple Syrup
Lime Juice
Egg Whites
Las Canteras Restaurant, 2307 18th St. NW(Kalorama Rd.)
Majestic Cafe
1/2 oz. Macchu Pisco
½ rosemary simple syrup
1 oz. lemon juice
1 bar spoon powdered sugar
1 egg white
Garnish with balsamic reduction and candied rosemary
Majestic Cafe
911 King Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Trummer’s on Main
PERU
Ingredients:
2 oz. Macchu Pisco
2 tbl. Spoons fresh pineapple
1 oz. fresh lime juice
1 oz. sugar can syrup
1 dash of Madagascar vanilla paste
Garnish with vanilla air vanilla dust
Trummer’s on Main
7134 Main Street, Clifton, VA 20124
PS7
MOTHER MAY I…
.25oz Stoli Pomegranik
1.5oz Macchu Pisco
2 spritz angostura orange bitters
2 bar spoons of Hibiscus Tea
.5oz strawberry juice
.5oz lemon juice
.5oz egg white
In a shaker, 3/4 filled with ice, combine Stoli pomegranik, Macchu pisco, strawberry juice, lemon juice, and egg white, shake until frothy. Strain into a coup glass, then spritz angostura orange across the top of the cocktail, layer the hibiscus on top, swirl together for form a design. Enjoy!
PS7 Restaurant 777 I St. NW Washington, DC 20001
Macchu Pisco and El Diablada.
Buy Macchu Pisco and El Diablada at Calvert Woodley Fine Wine & Spirits, Chevy Chase Wine & Spirits, Pearson’s Wine & Spirits or Schneider’s Liquor.
