Pisco Sour Day is the official holiday that celebrates the national drink of Peru and it’s being marked this year on February 5.

The birth of the original Pisco Sour dates back to the 1920s. According to cocktail historians, Victor Vaughen Morris, a florist from Salt Lake City, Utah, retired to Lima in 1916 and opened the Morris Bar. There, he came across the locally produced spirit Pisco and began experimenting with a variety of cocktails. His Pisco Sour invention later became Peru’s much loved and nationally celebrated drink.

“There are few cocktails that achieve a taste as perfectly balanced as a Pisco sour,” said Mario Vargas, Trade Commissioner of Peru to Australia and New Zealand.

“Its mixture of flavours, colourful appearance and signature aroma have made this delicious drink a Peruvian national treasure and a product exportable to the world. Not many cocktail lovers can resist its incomparable freshness and effervescence.

“This signature holiday is an opportunity to explore the deliciousness of Pisco, the Spirit of Peru, and we invite Aussies to join us at their favourite cocktail bar to enjoy this classic Peruvian cocktail.”

The recipe for the cocktail is quite simple, but requires practice to master to creamy texture without too much foam.

Recipe: Pisco Sour

• 90ml Pisco
• 45ml freshly squeezed lime juice
• 45ml simple syrup
• 12ml egg white
• 4 ice cubes

METHOD: Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously to create a frothy, creamy texture to the cocktail. Strain into a chilled Old Fashioned or coupe glass. Finish with three or four drops of Angostura bitters on top as a final touch.

If the Pisco Sour isn’t your preferred cocktail of choice, PROMPERÚ recommends celebrating the day with the classic Pisco Chilcano. In 2021, Australian bartenders were invited to give a down under twist to the classic Peruvian cocktail, enhancing the simple mixture of ginger ale, lime, bitters and Pisco with Australian ingredients. The Top 5 and winning recipes can be found at https://www.peruaustraliatrade.com/pisco-spirit-of-peru.