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Cocktail History
The Pisco Sour is a classic cocktail that is most often credited to Vaughen Morris, an American bartender who moved to Lima, Peru in the early 1900s to work at a railway company but ended up opening his own bar. It is said that he created the recipe as an alternative to the Whiskey Sour by using Pisco, a Peruvian brandy distilled from wine distilled from muscat grapes planted by Spanish colonists, as its base and pairing it with simple syrup, citrus, and egg.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Pisco: This is a type of brandy made in Peru or Chile with fermented grape juice. I used Capel Pisco Premium Liqueur.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I used this stovetop recipe.
Lemon Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lemon. I used freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Egg White: This is the clear liquid in an egg. I used fresh egg whites.
Orange Bitters: This is a food product made with oranges, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Orange Bitters.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Pale yellow color with a frothy white top
• Aroma: Fermented grape and citrus
• Taste: Distinct pisco flavor balanced by sour lemon
• Finish: Sweet citrus aftertaste and frothy mouthfeel
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “I’m always excited when I come across a new spirit to try, and I’d been intrigued by pisco for a while. When I finally picked up a bottle, I had to try it in the Pisco Sour since it’s the quintessential pisco-based recipe. I found it to be frothy and flavorful—almost like lime, which is odd since there’s none in the recipe.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Essential Cocktail Book: A Complete Guide to Modern Drinks by the editors of PUNCH and Megan Krigbaum.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2025-03-24.
Pisco Sour
The Pisco Sour is a classic cocktail that is most often credited to Vaughen Morris, an American bartender who moved to Lima, Peru in the early 1900s to work at a railway company but ended up opening his own bar. It is said that he created the recipe as an alternative to the Whiskey Sour by using Pisco, a Peruvian brandy distilled from wine distilled from muscat grapes planted by Spanish colonists, as its base and pairing it with simple syrup, citrus, and egg.
Ingredients
Method
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Add pisco, simple syrup, lemon juice, egg white, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Remove ice from shaker.
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Dry shake for 5-10 more seconds to emulsify egg.
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Strain into a sour glass.
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Garnish with three drops orange bitters.
