Pisco Makes the Trip North
PISCO, the clear grape spirit of South America, is emerging from the mist of history and bringing rich freshness to cocktails. In New York and other cities, liquor stores and bars that carried no pisco a few years ago have several now and are adding more, making it the fastest-growing spirit in the country.
The new piscos are a far cry from the famously rustic, hangover-inducing stuff that was previously available. Top-shelf piscos are being made for Peruvian connoisseurs, and these newer entries are feeding the growing export market, often with an assist from American expertise, passion and money.
“Pisco is not quite mainstream yet,” said Julie Reiner, an owner of Lani Kai in Manhattan and Clover Club in Brooklyn. “But it is gaining traction as the public learns about it.”
Peru leads the surge, with pisco exports to the United States having nearly doubled last year, according to Veritrade, an import consultancy.
Johnny Schuler, a restaurateur and television personality in Lima, is the distiller for Pisco Portón, a product aimed at the American market. Last month, Mr. Schuler said the company, which he owns with William Kallop, a Texas oilman, would spend millions promoting the spirit.
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