What Is Pisco?

The oldest spirit in the Americas may just be the living legacy of the world’s first potable distillate. This same clear grape spirit from Peru also anchored our first tropical cocktail: yes, I’m referencing pisco and the pisco punch. Created and first prepared in secret at San Francisco’s iconic Bank Exchange Saloon in the 1880s, the pisco punch—made with both fresh pineapple and fresh-squeezed lime juice—paved the way for piña coladas, mai tais and margaritas as well as poolside debauchery and tiki attire for all. Fun!

Marian Farms Biodynamic

Pisco Production on the Rise New York Times journalist Florence Fabricant recently wrote that pisco is the fastest-growing spirit in the country. That’s an exciting fact for all who love cocktails. Guillermo Toro-Lira, author and proprietor of Pisco Latin Lounge in San Francisco, said, of sharing pisco with the cocktail-curious, “I’ve actually converted bartenders who work at T.G.I.Friday’s and Applebee’s, to name a few, from vodka to pisco. Bartenders are always pleasantly surprised by pisco’s complexity and versatility for mixing.” Those bartenders are actually experiencing a bit of history: distillation of wine first began over a millenia ago and unaged grape-based spirits like pisco were the most common distilled tipple in Europe for many centuries. If the New York Times is correct, and if Applebee’s and T.G.I.Friday’s may soon be serving pisco, somebody should call Peru—and tell them we’ll need a few more bottles of pisco this summer. Organic Pisco