# Have you tried "Pisco" What did you think of it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 9, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043 "2011-08-09T06:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/1 "2011-08-09T06:35:22Z")
Per this article [Pisco - Don’t hate it because it’s fashionable.](http://www.slate.com/id/2301049/) Have you tried it? What did you think? > [@](#): > > Pisco, a clear grape brandy from the stills of South America, is the fastest-growing liquor in the booze biz, and I’ll bet you a round of dry Capitáns that cocktail historians will record this as the season of its breakthrough among norteamericanos. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/2 "2011-08-09T06:37:16Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Per this article > > [Pisco - Don’t hate it because it’s fashionable.](http://www.slate.com/id/2301049/) > > Have you tried it? What did you think? Had no idea it was fashionable. Couldn’t get enough of when I was in peru. Pisco Sour has to be one of my favourite cocktails. Though the few occasions I’ve had one here the barman looked at me funny when I asked him if there was real raw egg whites in it. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/3 "2011-08-09T10:19:46Z")
Piscola, Pisco and Coca-Cola, is amazing, too. It’s hard to find the stuff in my local liquor store, but maybe I haven’t been looking hard enough. ---
**Author:** ![MindsEye\_Watering](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mindseye_watering/32/3619_2.png) [@MindsEye\_Watering](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MindsEye_Watering)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/4 "2011-08-09T12:01:43Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Had no idea it was fashionable. Couldn’t get enough of when I was in peru. > > Pisco Sour has to be one of my favourite cocktails. Though the few occasions I’ve had one here the barman looked at me funny when I asked him if there was real raw egg whites in it. I loved Pisco Sours when I was in Peru, until I got really drunk on them once. Haven’t been tempted to try them again. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/5 "2011-08-09T12:46:55Z")
Good pisco is remarkably smooth. I like it straight over ice. My favorite brand is Macchu Pisco, especially their La Diablada version which is expensive but worth it. (Stay away from any pisco that comes in a bottle that looks like a skull or Inca statue.) And unless you really drink to excess, there is less of a morning-after effect than with most other hard liquors. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/6 "2011-08-09T13:55:17Z")
I’m Peruvian, of course I love it. Pisco sours or straight, not so much with coke. I didn’t know it was fashionable either. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/7 "2011-08-09T14:21:53Z")
I spent a few weeks in Peru about fifteen years back. The pisco sours were fun, but I think I’ll be sticking to bourbon and Scotch these days. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/8 "2011-08-09T14:23:40Z")
My wife’s Peruvian so I’ve been having Pisco sours for a couple years now (not regularly, mind you). Great drink but it sneaks up on you and hits you in the back of the head with a table lamp. We went once with a group of people to a Peruvian restaurant and had some with dinner. Then we all returned to the hotel and I think only one or two people out of 15 didn’t find themselves asleep until late evening. Good for Peru that it’s suddenly fashionable, I guess. More money for them. Hopefully it’s something sustainable. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/9 "2011-08-09T15:23:23Z")
It sounds nice but the mane is a little unfortunate… … 'I’ll have some Pisco with my turducken." ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Righteous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Dr.Righteous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Righteous)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/10 "2011-08-09T15:27:02Z")
I’ll step in to say I don’t like Pisco. Then again, I also don’t like brandy or grappa so that makes sense. Give me a caipirinha any day! ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/11 "2011-08-09T16:42:55Z")
Love it. There is a fantastic little restaurant in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago called Taste of Peru. It’s BYOB and if you bring in a bottle of pisco, they’ll prepare a pitcher of pisco sours for you that’s one of the best cocktails I’ve ever had the pleasure to get drunk on. Be sure to bring Peruvian pisco, if you bring in the Chilean stuff, they will tease you (in a friendly way, they’ll still make you a pitcher of sours w/ the non-Peruvian stuff.) ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/12 "2011-08-09T22:26:46Z")
Isn’t pisco just a grape brandy? How does it differ from cognac or California brandy? ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2011, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/13 "2011-08-09T23:24:40Z")
I like pisco very much. Sometimes, I think it has an almost dairy-like creamy flavor when sipped straight. Pisco Sour A shot of pisco; sugar to taste (simple syrup typically); juice of one lime; one egg white. Shake vigorously with some ice and strain into a glass. Top with bitters and egg foam. ---
**Author:** ![False\_God](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee7513/32.png) [@False\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/False_God)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/14 "2011-08-10T00:40:55Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Isn’t pisco just a grape brandy? How does it differ from cognac or California brandy? It’s quite similar to a white brandy, but more like a grappa. More grapey and less woody or oaky, which is what I remember cognac tasting like. I lived in Peru for 2 years, had many, many rounds of pisco sours, Peru libres (pisco and coke) and visited pisco distilleries. If there are any Chileans here, I won’t open that rivalry, except to say: I’ve been to Chile. I’ve been to Pisco, Peru. I’ve had pisco sours in both places and I’ve been to Bar Maury in Lima, which is fabled to be the birthplace of the pisco sour. Chile should stick to their (world-class) wine and seafood. Let the Peruvians have their pisco. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/15 "2011-08-10T01:41:27Z")
I’d like to try it. Straight, that is. I don’t think I could deal with egg in a drink (before you ask: no, I’ve never had eggnog). ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-tried-pisco-what-did-you-think-of-it/592043/16 "2011-08-10T02:29:46Z")
Only recently! A bottle was a gift from my sister after a trip to Peru. Made a pisco sour off a well-vouched recipe online. Tasty, but the lemons I had were pretty weak so it suffered. I can see why it’s popular – very comparable to a Margarita, but smoother and less boring.