Pisco Punch is a classic cocktail with a rich history dating back to late 19th century San Francisco. Synonymous with the city and widely enjoyed around the world, its popularity has only continued to grow. In this article, we look into the history behind this cocktail, its taste and the best ways you can savour it.


The History of the Pisco Punch 

In the 1890s at San Francisco's Bank Exchange Saloon, Duncan Nicol mixed up a concoction in the back rooms of his bar. Nicol's punch was gradually found to contain pisco, gummy syrup, pineapple juice and lemon juice, but the exact proportions had remained a mystery, and some even believed it contained cocaine.

 

When Prohibition took effect in the 1920s, Nicol closed the doors of the Bank Exchange Salon and retired from bartending at the age of 65. After closing the bar, he never published the full recipe, thus any recipe we see today is never the original.

 

What does a Pisco Punch taste like?


The Pisco Punch is a well-balanced cocktail with sweet, sour, and bitter flavours. A versatile cocktail that can be enjoyed at any time of day or night, although it is traditionally served as a pre-dinner drink or after-dinner cocktail. It is particularly well-suited to warm weather, and a perfect match for hot summer days.

 

 

Classic Pisco Punch Recipe

Ingredients

60ml Pisco

30ml Lemon Juice

15ml Rich Simple Syrup (Ratio 2:1 Sugar:Water)

30ml Pineapple Juice

 

How-to

  1. Combine all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker with ice.
  2. Shake until well-chilled.
  3. Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
  4. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.



Variations

 

There’s no said variation of the Pisco Punch cocktail since the original recipe is a mystery, but here are some other methods to make your cocktail taste a little different.

 

Try the dry shaking method to add even more foam to your cocktail. To do this, first shake the ingredients well without ice, then add ice to the shaker and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds before straining.

 

Replace lemon juice with lime juice for another type of citrus flavouring to your Pisco Punch.

 

Adding tropical fruits to your Pisco Sour is also a good idea. One good example is the use of frozen mango to make a Mango Pisco Sour.

 


Conclusion

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