In contrast to other spirits (grappa, orujo, Chilean aguardiente, vodka and so on), pisco is not rectified. Distilled or demineralized water is not used to obtain the standard alcohol content - 38 and 46 degrees - other spirits after distillation have an alcohol content of 60 degrees and water is added to bring it down to the desired content.
Pisco, though, is quite different; it is made by taste, that is, the flavor depends on the palate of each producer. That is why making pisco is an art and why it is so singular. As well as this, only special pisco grapes are used, in the following varieties: negra, mollar, quebranta, italia, moscatel, albilla and torontel. Many of these varieties were brought over by the Spanish at the beginning of the colonial period.

THE NAME PISCO

Few words have as many meanings as the word pisco. Juan de Arona’s Peruvian dictionary (1883) defines it thus: "Generic name of a spirit made from grapes, produced in the estates around Pisco and exported from that port. A pisco - or pisquito - is a fired earthenware jar in which the famous spirit is packed. Pisco is perhaps one of the finest spirits on earth."

The earthengware jar is linked
to the origins of Peruvian.

But pisco is not only a port, a bottle and a spirit. In Quechua, the word pisco means bird and is, what is more, the name given to the valley. The Yunga Indians gave it that name because the condor was found there together with large numbers of sea birds.

It would be pointless in this brief but fascinating history to try to demonstrate how Peruvian a drink it is, for the simple reason that in colonial times pisco, the liquor of Peru and the wine from that part of the country made an important contribution to the viceregal economy. In the 17th Century viticulture and the trade in alcohol in Peru were a real headache for the Spanish King. He sent hundreds of directives prohibiting the planting of vines and the export of wine to Panama, Nueva España, Central America and, of course, the Kingdom of Castille. The powerful competition posed by these local products was damaging the trade in Spanish wines and affecting the Spanish economy.

In the Viceroyalty of Peru the 17th Century was a period of expansion in wine production but by the 18th Century grape liquor had overtaken it in terms of trade and exports. Domestically, pisco was the main product of the vine growers, who managed to prohibit the production of rum and became a significant economic power in the region.

ON HIGH DAYS AND HOLIDAYS

So, the beginnings of liquor production in Peru involved Indians, Negros, Spanish and even the church. In fact, grape liquor was produced in different provinces of the Viceroyalty: Pisco, Nazca, Arequipa and Moquegua were all noted for it and it generated significant regional income. The liquor which gained the greatest fame, however, was that exported from the port of Pisco, in other Pacific ports it was sought after and always the object of interest and comments by chroniclers and travelers. Inevitably, it became an essential presence at any fiesta. Its seven varieties including pure, aromatic, acholado and mosto verde were enjoyed all over the country. Pisco had become Peru’s national drink.

An ancient distillery

It was drunk at the bullfight too. In 1867 the writer Manuel Atanasio Fuentes described Lima’s bull ring thus: "Inside the building are sellers of chicha and liquor, the common people take their pleasure and deaden their cares with liquor and with their passions inflamed there are almost always fights and even deaths in the afternoons of the bullfight. The authorities, always vigilant, ordered that at Acho liquor should neither be sold or even mentioned". But popular ingenuity baptized it "melt-water" and it was sold just the same.

Custom also dictates that a Peruvian paso horse competition begins with a toast in pisco and, before entering the show ring, a sip of pisco makes a good companion. Finally, a good way to test the special gait of the paso horse and the skill of its rider is to carry a glass of pisco in one hand and ride without spilling it.

For those who make pisco the artisanal way it is a custom handed down from generation to generation, maintaining this unique and truly Peruvian skill.

Such people are generally families who, year after year carry out an ancestral ritual with knowledge and dedication and thus maintain their ancient tradition. Of course pisco is also made on an industrial scale - and very good it is too.

A TAUTOLOGY

Maria Isabel Mijares, oenologist and good friend, makes a valid comment in the first pages of Pisco es Peru: "To say Peruvian pisco is a tautology. Pisco, of course, is and always will be Peruvian, its concept is Peruvian. The problem is that at some point Peru ignored the dangers of failing to protect the name and standards for this unique product distilled directly from the wine, from international trade. Pisco is an almost magical drink, it has form, volume, body, appearance and... soul".
Spanish singer-songwriter Joaquin Sabina, in love with a Peruvian, also commented on pisco, he said "I was a simple drunkard until is tasted Peruvian pisco sour; since that time I have been a demanding gourmet and I cannot abide the Chilean version. It makes you laugh more than champagne, it is cheaper and, depending on the skills of its maker I would say that it has an infinity of nuances."

So, I will leave you with the nuances of pisco to enjoy in all its many versions. Cheers!

From the book Pisco es Peru, Mariella Balbi, PromPeru, 2002 *