Chilean Pisco Sour — Classic Homemade Pisco Sour Recipe

Versión en Español

The Chilean pisco sour is a cocktail of pisco, Chile’s grape brandy, with lime juice and sugar blended or shaken with ice, served very cold in a cocktail glass with a light foam. It takes 5 minutes and no cooking for 4 glasses. What sets the Chilean version apart is Chilean pisco and Pica lime, a small, aromatic lime similar to the key lime, in a ratio of three parts pisco to one part lime juice. Egg white and Angostura bitters are optional.

In Chile, pisco sour is the aperitif at family gatherings, asados (barbecues) and Fiestas Patrias, the September national holidays, and almost every household has its own measure. This is the base recipe, made in a blender or cocktail shaker with Chilean pisco, freshly squeezed lime and powdered sugar. Other drinks start from it, such as the frozen pisco sour, or pisco sour granizado, which is made with whole Pica limes, ginger and gum syrup and frozen overnight, and sours made with other liqueurs, such as the amaretto sour.

How to Make Pisco Sour?

The method is to dissolve the powdered sugar in the lime juice first and then blend it with the pisco and ice for just a few seconds. That way the drink gets cold and foamy without becoming watery. If you have no powdered sugar at home, homemade gum syrup (jarabe de goma, a sugar syrup used in Chilean cocktails) does the same job and blends into the lime juice right away. If you prefer a slushy drink for hot days, the frozen pisco sour follows a different method and is linked at the end of this recipe.

Nutritional Information

Each serving of Chilean pisco sour (one 120 ml / 4 fl oz glass) contains approximately 155 kcal, 1 g of protein, 0 g of total fat (0 g of saturated fat), 0 mg of cholesterol, 9 g of carbohydrates, 8 g of sugars and 15 mg of sodium. These values are estimates and may vary depending on ingredients and portion sizes.

Homemade Pisco Sour Recipe

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking: No cooking
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) Chilean pisco, 35% ABV
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) Pica lime or key lime juice
• 4 tablespoons powdered sugar, or 1/3 cup gum syrup (jarabe de goma)
• 1 egg white (optional)
• 2 cups ice cubes
• Angostura bitters to taste (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash the limes, cut them in half and squeeze them with a hand juicer without pressing the peel too hard, because the oils in the skin make the drink bitter. Strain the juice to remove seeds and pulp and measure 1/3 cup. Squeeze it right before making the pisco sour, since lime juice loses aroma and turns more bitter over the hours.

2. Put the lime juice and powdered sugar in a blender jar or a cocktail shaker and mix until the sugar dissolves completely. Powdered sugar dissolves in cold liquid much faster than granulated sugar, which is why it is the usual choice in the Chilean recipe. If you use gum syrup, add it at this point and stir for a few seconds.

3. Add the Chilean pisco, the egg white if using, and the ice cubes. Blend on high speed for 10 to 15 seconds, just enough to chill the drink and build foam, because if you blend longer the ice gets crushed and the drink turns slushy. If using a shaker, shake hard for about 15 seconds without ice to whip the egg white, then add the ice and shake for another 15 seconds.
4. Strain the pisco sour into chilled cocktail glasses or tumblers through a fine strainer to hold back the ice pieces. Let the foam rise and settle for a few seconds. If you use Angostura bitters, add two or three drops on top of the foam right before serving. Serve immediately, because the foam drops within a few minutes.

Additional Tips

What Is the Ratio for a Chilean Pisco Sour?

The most common measure in Chile is three parts pisco to one part lime juice, with powdered sugar to taste, usually between half a part and one part. With 35% ABV pisco that ratio gives a balanced drink, while with 40% ABV pisco it is better to add a little more lime or sugar. Taste the mix before adding the ice and adjust it then, because the cold masks the sweetness afterward.

Firm Foam With or Without Egg White

Egg white gives a dense white foam that lasts several minutes on top of the glass. Use fresh eggs from a reliable source, since the egg white goes in raw. Without egg white, a pisco sour made in the blender still forms a light foam from the air the ice whips in, although it drops faster. Some people replace the egg white with aquafaba, the cooking liquid from chickpeas, which behaves in a similar way when whipped.

Drinking Pisco Sour Responsibly

Pisco sour carries a considerable amount of alcohol, since each glass of this recipe has about 60 ml (2 fl oz) of pisco. Serve it only to adults of legal drinking age, offer something to eat with it and keep water or an alcohol-free option on the table. Do not drink it if you are going to drive, if you are pregnant or if you take medication that interacts with alcohol.

Pisco sour variations and how they differ. The most common versions start from the same base and change one or two elements.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What Is the Recipe for a Chilean Pisco Sour?

The basic Chilean recipe uses three parts Chilean pisco, one part Pica lime or key lime juice and powdered sugar to taste. For 4 glasses, use 1 cup (240 ml) of pisco, 1/3 cup (80 ml) of lime juice and 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar, blended with 2 cups of ice and strained into the glass.

2. Does Pisco Sour Have Egg White?

In Chile egg white is optional and many households leave it out. If you add it, one egg white is enough for 4 glasses, blended together with the rest of the ingredients to form a firmer white foam. In the Peruvian version, on the other hand, egg white is a standard part of the recipe.

3. Which Pisco Should You Use for a Pisco Sour?

The most common choice is a 35% ABV Chilean pisco, which makes a smooth drink that is easy to balance. With 40% ABV pisco the result is stronger and you should adjust the lime or sugar. There is no need for an expensive barrel-aged pisco, because the lime and sugar cover most of its wood notes.

4. What Is the Difference Between Chilean and Peruvian Pisco Sour?

Chile and Peru both claim pisco sour as their own, and each country has its version. The Chilean one is usually made with Chilean pisco, Pica lime and powdered sugar, with egg white as an option. The Peruvian one uses Peruvian pisco, which is made under different rules, and almost always includes egg white and drops of Angostura bitters on the foam.

What Is Pisco Sour?

Pisco sour is a cocktail of pisco, lime juice and sugar blended or shaken with ice and strained into a cocktail glass, where it forms a light foam. In its Chilean version it is made with Chilean pisco, usually 35% ABV, juice of Pica lime or key lime and powdered sugar, in a ratio of three parts pisco to one part lime juice. Egg white, for a firmer foam, and a few drops of Angostura bitters are optional.

History of Pisco Sour in Chile

The origin of pisco sour is disputed between Chile and Peru, which both claim it as part of their tradition, just as happens with pisco itself. Each country developed a different version, with differences in the type of pisco, the lime and the use of egg white.

In Chile it became the best known aperitif, present in homes, restaurants and celebrations, and it gave rise to variations made with local fruits such as calafate, copao and blueberry.

Did You Know?

Pica lime, the favorite for Chilean pisco sour, is grown in the oases of Pica and Matilla, in the Tarapacá Region of northern Chile. It is a small, thin-skinned and very aromatic lime, the same type as the limón sutil, or key lime. Because of its size, you need several of them to get 1/3 cup of juice.

Recommended

• Frozen pisco sour (pisco sour granizado)
• Whisky sour, the classic sour made with whisky and lemon
• Copao sour, the version made with the cactus fruit of northern Chile
• Chilean blueberry sour with a sweet and tart flavor