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Dish · Arequipa
Chupe de camarones
Thick river shrimp soup with potato, egg, milk and cheese. It is called the ambassador of traditional Arequipa cuisine and is served as a main course in the picanterías.
Flavors · Lima
Pisco sour
Cocktail of pisco, lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white, shaken with ice and served with drops of bitters.
Traditional drink from Lima, Lima Metropolitana
Also known as: piscosauer
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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Pisco sour — Lima, Peru
Pisco sour is made with pisco, lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white, shaken with ice until a white foam forms on top. It is served in a low glass, with a few drops of Angostura bitters on the foam. The classic ratio is often three parts pisco to one part lime.
The Academia Peruana del Pisco places the cocktail’s origin at the Morris Bar, which operated in central Lima from 1916 to 1929. The bar belonged to the American Victor Vaughen Morris, who lived in the city. The modern recipe, including egg white and bitters, is attributed to a bartender who worked there in the late 1920s. A 1903 recipe book already included a similar drink, without that name. Other origin stories from 19th‑century bars lack documentation.
The Peruvian state created the Día Nacional del Pisco Sour, celebrated on the first Saturday of February, by resolution of the Ministry of Production in 2004. On that day there are tastings and contests in Lima and other cities.
The base is pisco, the grape spirit with Peruvian denomination of origin. The cocktail is also prepared in Chile, where there is a separate pisco tradition. It is a strong drink: enjoy in moderation. Pisco sour was also declared Cultural Heritage of the Nation by National Directoral Resolution 1180‑INC, 2007.
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Where it comes from
Lima , Lima Metropolitana
The Academia Peruana del Pisco places the cocktail’s origin in a bar in central Lima.
Ingredients
Pisco, lime juice, sugar syrup, egg white, ice and Angostura bitters.
How it is eaten
Chilled, in a low glass, immediately after shaking, with drops of bitters on the foam. It is usually served as an aperitif.
When it is eaten
Everyday aperitif; on the Día Nacional del Pisco Sour, the first Saturday of February.
Your questions
Questions about Pisco sour
Where was the pisco sour created?
The Academia Peruana del Pisco places the origin at the Morris Bar in central Lima, which operated from 1916 to 1929. The recipe with egg white and bitters became established there in the late 1920s.
When is the Día Nacional del Pisco Sour?
On the first Saturday of February, by resolution of the Peruvian Ministry of Production in 2004.
What is in a pisco sour?
Pisco, lime juice, sugar syrup and egg white, shaken with ice, with drops of Angostura bitters on top.
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