Cocktail No 102 Pisco Sour

An old school friend has been cycling from the bottom of South America to the north. He had reached Chile by the time the COVID-19 was declared a pandemic and can't leave the country. He has introduced to the the local spirit and I can see why Simon is so taken with it. The spirit is Pisco.

Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pisco

Pisco itself has a very minor grappa taste, which makes sense as its a grape Eua de Vie, but without the pips or made from a 3rd presing, so a lot milder on that distinctly grappa taste. 

Initially I forgot the Angostura bitters. It is very pleasant - a perfect sour, smooth, well balanced between the sweet and sour, the spirit doesn't contribute much to the flavour, its somewhere between and rum and a brandy sour. That is not denigrating the Pisco. That it blends everything else together in harmony is a compliment. 

I am a fan.

Recipe

2-3 ice cubes

50ml Pisco

50 ml lime juice (not lemon)

50ml Sugar syrup

1 egg white (I omitted this to save on washing. It doesn't affect the taste, but gives a froth and different mouth feel).

Dash of Angostura bitters

Add all ingredients except the bitters to a shaker and shake vigorously to incorporate the egg white. Strain into a cocktail glass and add a dash of bitters.

Cocktail No 99 Sake Special

To be honest, I wasn't expecting very much from this one and am very pleasantly surprised. In some ways it is a watered down pink gin, but the Sake does add its own distinctiveness, which I suspect would not be the case with a grape based white wine. 

The Gin and Angosture bitter are the commanding flavours and make this cocktail great. The Sake, stops it being too harsh as neat gin can be. I am struggling to describe it. It adds a mellowness, almost an earthy undertone to the drink and a lingering almost floral after taste. Despite that it is a deliciously clean and dry taste. The bitters gives a wonderful nutty brown colour to the drink - very appealing on the eye.

I had to buy a whole bottle of Sake for this, so the dilemma is do I make more of these, or warm it to go with beef teriyake?

Perhaps both.

Recipe

2-3 ice cubes

50 ml Birkdale gin

25 ml Sake

2 dashes of Angostura bitters

Put ice in a mixing glass with other ingredients. Stir well and strain into a cocktail glass - enjoy.

Cocktail No 89 Pink Gin

I had forgotten how wonderfully scrumptious this drink is on a warm summers afternoon. Gin and Angostura bitters are a perfect combination, each bringing out flavours from the other. Its perfect with Birkdale gin with its 15 botanical mix.

Its pretty much neat gin, so a mild burning sensation on the roof of the mouth and the tongue from the 40% ethanol. Then the complex flavours in the gin and the bitters come through. Its fiery and earthy at the same time.

A perfect way to kick off the evening.

Recipe

3-4 ice cubes
50 ml Birkdale gin
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

Place all ingredients in a mixing glass and stir thouroughly until ice cold. Strain into a Cocktail glass and consume before it can warm up.