Pisco revival: once the darling of the San Francisco cocktail scene, Peruvian Pisco makes a comeback

Cheers, Sept, 2007 by Naren Young

it would probably come as a surprise to many that only 40 years ago, Pisco was one of the biggest selling spirits on the West Coast. It certainly surprised me. Then, almost overnight, the unaged spirit distilled from freshly fermented wine must was suddenly left to wither away on the spirit scrapheap (we'll explain why in a bit). That is, until the last decade when it has finally been revived and is now taking its place as one that deserves our attention and respect.

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A lack of awareness of the spirit means most bars that even stock Pisco at all offer only the most readily available, inexpensive brands. These are typically from Chile, where they are industrially produced and don't share the complexities of their Peruvian counterparts.

There has been much debate over the last century as to which country--Peru or Chile--actually invented Pisco. No one really knows for certain, although it should be noted that the town of Pisco and its eponymous port are both in the former. In addition, Pisco was the first port that sailors from Europe stopped at during their early journeys, so the evidence that Pisco was first produced in Peru is fairly overwhelming.

Peruvian Pisco is different from Chilean Pisco, not only in the grapes used, but also in the production techniques. Peruvian producers exclusively employ pot distillation, resulting in a more flavorful spirit. Even though Chile produces about 95 percent of the world's total Pisco, most of it is mass produced and it is not as refined as that of their Peruvian neighbors.

The Spanish who colonized Peru were the first to bring grapes to the continent, along with their expertise in wine making and distilling. These grapes were actually brought from the Canary Islands, and Pisco was first produced during the 16th century. When the Gold Rush hit America's West Coast during the 1850s, many Peruvians journeyed north to find their fortunes, taking their national spirit with them and popularizing it to such an extent that from the mid 19th century until the 1970s, Pisco was the highest selling spirit in San Francisco, where Pisco houses became all the rage.

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

In 1968, General Velasco took over Peru via a coup d'etat and the military populist regime oppressed the oligarchy for 12 years. They appropriated the land from the owners and gave it to the peasants who had no experience in tending vines, distilling or running a business.

In the process, many vineyards were destroyed and replaced by shanty towns. This single act changed the Pisco industry in Peru--perhaps forever--and indeed almost buried it. Peru came back to democracy in 1980, only to face another 15 years of brutal terrorism led by the Shining Path and Tupac Amaru guerillas.

Pisco production dried up significantly and the few brands still being produced were often adulterated by the addition of cheap cane alcohol because grape yields were so small. Today, some distillers continue this now illegal practice.

The result? Even many Peruvians rejected Pisco until recently, when a new breed of entrepreneurial producers began buying back the land and the vineyards and making Pisco in the traditional artisanal way. Of the 235 producers in Peru, most of which are family run, only 10 are being exported at this time.

Pisco could easily have been in the same lofty position of popularity that tequila holds today if political events hadn't conspired against its production for so long. Only time will tell if the spirit that has been fighting its way back since the late 1990s will become well known around the world again.

A few Pisco brands are now making their way here from Peru, including Mendiola, Montesierpe and Tacama. BarSol is one brand in particular making some serious noise around the U.S., led by passionate Pisco authority Diego Loret de Mola, a Peruvian native and president of BevMax International, the importer of BarSol.

"We are living in a world of exponential globalization. We are eating foods from all over the world and we also want to experience spirits and cocktails from other parts of the globe. The time is right for South American spirits such as cachaca and Pisco, especially given the increasing love affair that North Americans have with the Latin American lifestyle," he enthuses.

The quality of Pisco will also continue to improve in coming years, due in large part to the formation of the Consejo Regulador del Pisco (CRP), a government-run body that will oversee the production process of individual distillers much like the Mexican government agency does with tequila.

The agency hopes to introduce some standards and educate producers. The problem, however, is that there are some illegal practices being used by some producers right now (such as adding grain alcohol and using non-Pisco grapes), and it's likely that the CRP will shut them down.

In Peru, Pisco can only be made from eight grape varieties, four of which are aromatic grapes and four which are not. While it's not that important for bartenders to know their individual names, it is important to know that there is a marked difference between the two styles--non-aromatic Pisco is typically distilled from a single grape varietal, while alcholado is a blend of aromatic varietals--and that the choice of style will result in a very different cocktail. Even within Peru, where Pisco can only be produced in five designated states, the resulting spirit can be quite different because of the various soils and climate.