How To Make A Pisco Sour

If you have lemons, make lemonade. And if you have a packet of hot cocoa mix, go ahead and make yourself a cup of hot cocoa. But what do you do with a bottle of the South American brandy known as pisco? A lot, actually - but first, you need to make yourself a Pisco Sour. This cocktail was invented in early-20th-century Peru (most likely at Victor Vaughen Morris’ bar in Lima), and it remains one of the most delicious things you can drink out of a coupe. You do need to use an egg white, however. That part is non-negotiable.

Pisco Sour

You’ll Need:

• Ice

• Coupe

• 2 ounces pisco

• .75 ounce lime juice

• .75 ounce simple syrup

• 1 egg white

• Angostura bitters

Step One: Lime Juice

Just like thousands of other delicious cocktails, the Pisco Sour starts with lime juice. Don’t use something from a bottle. Instead, find a lime, juice it, and put .75 ounce lime juice in your cocktail shaker.

Step Two: Simple Syrup

Next, to offset the acidic bite of lime juice, we’ll add some simple syrup. If you’ve never made simple syrup before, congratulations, you’re in for a treat. Just mix equal parts warm water and white sugar, then stir until the sugar is dissolved. That’s simple syrup. Add .75 ounce simple to your cocktail shaker.

Step Three: Egg White

If you’ve never had an egg white cocktail, the concept might sound strange. But a raw egg white will make your drink the fluffiest beverage on earth. If you’re concerned about consuming a raw egg white, use pasteurized eggs or a carton of pasteurized egg whites. Add 1 egg white (or .25 ounce egg white from a carton) to your shaker.

Step Four: Pisco

Once your egg white is in the shaker and you’ve picked out any bits of shell, you’re ready to add liquor. Pour 2 ounces pisco into your shaker.

Step Five: Dry Shake

Now is when you’d typically add ice and shake. But since this cocktail has an egg white, we’ll do something called a dry shake first. What’s a dry shake? It’s when you shake without ice, in order to get your egg white fluffy and integrated with the rest of your ingredients. Dry shake your cocktail for about 10 seconds.

Step Six: Shake With Ice

Finally, add around 5 or 6 ice cubes to your cocktail shaker, and give your Pisco Sour a proper shake. It should take around 20 seconds. Strain your cocktail into a coupe, and watch as a thick layer of foam settles on top. But don’t get too distracted. You still need to garnish this drink. To do so, decorate the top with 3 or 4 small drops (not full dashes) of Angostura bitters. If you want to get extra fancy, run the tip of a toothpick through the middle of those drops to make a fun design. Then drink your Pisco Sour.