To a 10-year old boy who has been playing in the hot sun for hours, a tall glass of lemonade is a favorite thirst quencher. But to the untrained eye, a pitcher full of Pisco Sour looks a lot like an ice-cold pitcher of lemonade. So I poured myself a tall glass, and drank it all at once, one gulp after another.
I was too thirsty to appreciate the egg white foam, or savor the perfect combination of sugar and limes, much less distinguish the type of grape used for the Pisco. As soon as I put the glass down on the kitchen counter, my dad walked in with a tray of empty glasses to pour more Pisco Sours for our guests, and he instantly realized what I had done. The only way he would have been more surprised was if I had asked him what type of Pisco he had used — “Hi Dad, Great Pisco Sour! Did you use a Quebranta or perhaps an Acholado? We don’t have any Mosto Verde in the house do we? It was pretty aromatic, so maybe an Italia?”
The next time I have a Pisco Sour, I am going to take the time to savor all the ingredients. When is the next time you ask? Next week, and the plan is to hit up 7 bars in San Francisco in 7 nights in search of the city’s best Pisco Sour. Stay tuned for a post by the end of the month with a full report.