Pisco, Packs Quite a Punch

More and more I hear of places serving Pisco or making cocktails out of them, probably Pisco Punch being the most famous. Although it sounds familiar, I thought it was just an old-school fruity drink, but there is actually a lot more history to it than expected.

Turns out that Pisco is a South American brandy distilled from grapes. Where in South America? Well, there's a tiny area called Pisco, but whether it's in Chile or Peru is a matter of some dispute, and of course, slightly different ways of producing the alcohol, although both are aged in clay jars or wooden barrels to mellow.

Chile - tends to be sweeter and lighter because producers add water to reduce the proof of the alcohol. Peru - slightly higher proof and is made with the Quebranta grape, a grape not found in Chile.

In the 19th Century, Pisco became very popular in California, especially in San Francisco, because people were looking for getting the maximum alcohol potency, but in the smoothest way possible. Thus the Pisco Punch was born by Duncan Nicol of "The Bank Exchange and Billiard Saloon" in San Francisco. The Bank, however, closed in 1919, due to Prohibition and in 1926, Duncan Nicol passed away, many thinking the recipe dying with him. However, as we can see, there seems to be a revival and more and more places are serving Pisco and their version of Pisco Punch.

Below are some links to recipes for Pisco Punch, mix and enjoy!

http://www.esquire.com/drinks/pisco-punch-drink-recipe

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pisco-Punch-234788

http://www.cocktaildb.com/recipe_detail?id=3558

And, if you're not in the mood to make your own Punch, here are a couple places in San Francisco that are known to serve up a mean drink, Pisco Punch or otherwise:

http://www.lamarcebicheria.com/web/intro.php

http://www.piscosf.com/