Diary of a Foodie

Pisco Sour

Diary of a Foodie: Season One: Raising the Bar

Makes1 drink
  • Active Time:5 min
  • Start to Finish:5 min
This South American cocktail is made with Pisco, a potent brandy distilled from Muscat grapes. Tasted on its own, Pisco has an almost grappa-like intensity. A spoonful of sugar, as well as bitters and tart lemon and lime juices, helps it go down—delightfully. The drink gets its distinctive foamy head from egg white, a classic ingredient in a number of old-fashioned cocktails.
January 2007
  • Ice cubes
  • 1 1/2 oz (3 tablespoons) Pisco
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon superfine granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg white (see Cooks' note)
  • Several drops of Angostura bitters
  • Special equipment:

    a cocktail shaker; a cocktail strainer
  • Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add all remaining ingredients except bitters and shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into an Old Fashioned or Martini glass. Sprinkle bitters onto froth.
Cooks' note: The egg white in this recipe is not cooked. For this recipe you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried egg white powder or 2 tablespoons liquid pasteurized egg whites.
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