Alto del Carmen Pisco Reservado - Chilean brandy

Pisco is grape brandy that's made in either Chile or Peru. Interestingly, while both countries have been making pisco for over a century, the style produced by each country varies quite a bit ranging from color (Peruvian pisco is clear, Chilean yellowish) to the types of grapes used. There's some national pride wrapped around each country's pisco, so it's probably not a good idea to order a Peruvian pisco in a Chilean bar or vice versa.

The Alto del Carmen is Chilean and is classified as a reserve pisco, which means that it tends to be more alcoholic (40%) and stronger in taste than regular pisco which doesn't have a particularly strong flavor. The Muscat grape is predominantly used, providing notes of perfume and spicy fruit. It tends to be sweeter than traditional brandies.

The most common cocktail made from pisco is the Pisco Sour, a classic cocktail that's been around since pre-prohibition days. I've included a Pisco Sour recipe from "Bottoms Up," a wonderfully saucy book by Ted Saucier that was published in 1951 and contains hundreds of cocktail recipes along with pinup girls and poetry. Since I'm not a fan of egg whites in my drink, I've also included a more modern recipe from the 2006 Food & Wine cocktail book.

"Bottoms Up" artwork sample

Pisco Sour from "Bottoms Up"
1 1/2 oz pisco
Juice 1/2 lemon (about 3/4 oz)
1 tsp sugar (though I would substitute 1 oz simple syrup rather than use sugar)
1 egg white
Shake well with ice.


Vermouth Sin Nombre from Food & Wine 2006
1/2 lime, quartered
1 1/4 orange wheels (1/4 is used for garnish)
3/4 oz simple syrup (in a small jar, shake half sugar and half water until sugar is dissolved)
2 oz pisco
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz fresh orange juice
In a cocktail shaker, muddle the lime with 1 orange wheel and the simple syrup.  Shake the rest of the ingredients with ice and strain into a crushed ice-filled glass.

Alto del Carmen pisco can be found state-wide.