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Years ago, I had an incredible trip to Peru for the Kon Tiki Festival in Lima. This adventure was full of unforgettable experiences, especially my Pisco Sour bar tour in Lima. Alongside the vibrant bar scene, I enjoyed the delicious Peruvian cuisine, the best ceviches, causas, Chupe de Camarones and many more.
I also had the chance to surf the dunes in Ica, which was a thrilling experience. That day, I had so much fun making a "Pisco Colada" in the desert. [VIDEO HERE]
One of the highlights of my trip was visiting some amazing Pisco distilleries. I learned so much about this unique Peruvian spirit and tasted some of the best Pisco I've ever had. None of this would have been possible without my good friend Nando Cordoba, who made this entire journey memorable.
Inspired by this trip, I created the "Pisco & Piña" the “Tiki Pisco” and “The Smog Cutter” all to capture the spirit of Peru and the joy of my adventure. Enjoy!
1.5 oz Pisco Quebranta Puro 1615 [1]
0.5 oz Planteray Stiggin’g Fancy Pineapple Rum[2]
or Homemade Pineapple Infused Rum**
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1.5 oz Pineapple Juice
0.5 oz Pineapple/Ginger Shurb*
2 Drops Saline Solutions
Add all the ingredients in a mixing cup
Add crushed ice
Blend for 5 seconds
Strain into a large cocktail coupe
Garnish with 3 drops of Angostura Bitters
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[1] Pisco Puro Quebranta 1615
Is a premium Peruvian Pisco from the 1615 Pisco brand of Bodega San Nicolás. This Pisco is distilled from fully fermented Quebranta grapes in the pure style. The Winery produces its own grapes in the historic lands where the first Pisco was produced in the 17th century, drawing inspiration from this history and combining it with contemporary knowledge of distillation. Great for cocktails.
[2] Planteray Stiggin’g Fancy Pineapple Rum
Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum was created by Alexandre Gabriel as a tribute to Reverend Stiggins, a character in Charles Dickens' Pickwick Papers whose favorite drink was "ron de piña". It has won awards including the Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2023 Chairman's Trophy and Best New Spirit at Tales of Cocktail 2016
Plantation Stiggins' Fancy Pineapple Rum is a 3-star white rum infused with pineapple from Trinidad and Tobago. The rum is made using a unique process that involves infusing the pineapple skin and flesh in different ways, then blending the results together:
The pineapple skin is brewed with Plantation 3-star rum for seven days and then distilled
Freshly cut Victoria pineapple fruit is infused in Plantation Original Dark rum for three months
The pineapple rind is macerated in the rum and then distilled to create a pineapple essence
The distillate and fruit infusion are blended together and aged further in barrels with the pineapple
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**Homemade Infused Pineapple Rum
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe pineapple
- 2 bottles of Plantation Original Dark rum or El Dorado 5yo if you prefer something with more character use Agricole Rhum [I use Saint James Rhum Ambre]
-3 oz [adjust as a personal taste]Agave Nectar or if you want a kick of spice use Spiced Demerara Syrup****
Equipment:
- 1gallon jar with a tight lid
- Funnel
- 1 fine mesh strainers
Instructions:
1. Wash the Pineapple
2. Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple.
3. Cut the pineapple into large chunks on rings [[I usually get rid of the core]
4. Combine the pineapple chunks into the jar and pour the rum over them.
5. Store the jar in a dark place at room temperature for 4 days, shaking it vigorously every 24 hours.
6. Remove the pineapple chunks out of the jar.
7. Squeeze the juice from the pineapple chunks back into the jar
8. Add the agave or the syrup
9. Double strain the mixture back into the rum bottles.
10. labels and refrigerate.
11. Shake before used
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*Pineapple/Ginger Shurb
Ingredients:
1 Pineapple
3 cup Demerara Sugar
1 cup Port or Aged Sherry Vinegar
1 hand-full Ginger
Before cutting into your pineapple, make sure it’s ripe, then give wash it.
Use a large container
Chop the pineapple into pieces.
Peel the ginger and cut into stick
Add sugar
Muddle
Add vinegar
Stir
Seal the container
Set aside, at room temperature 24 hr to macerate, stirring occasionally until all the sugar is dissolved.
After the steeping period, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a clean glass jar or bottle. Press down on the solids to extract all the liquid.
Discard the solids, and your pineapple shrub is ready to use. Seal the jar or bottle and store it in the refrigerator. It will last for several weeks.
Drain away the pineapple and transfer the shrub into a sterilized bottle and store in the fridge.
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****Spiced Demerara Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons allspice berries
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
1 vanilla bean*****
Instructions:
In a quart container combine Sugar and water: mix 1 cup of Demerara sugar with 1 cup of very hot water.
Add 2 tablespoons of allspice berries, 2 cinnamon sticks, 2 star anise pods, and 1 vanilla bean to the mixture.
Stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Cover the container and let it infuse for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, strain the syrup to remove the spices.
Bottled and keep refrigerated. Will be good for a few weeks
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***** Vanilla Bean
How to Open a Vanilla bean
Prepare the bean : Place the vanilla pod flat on a cutting board.
Trim the Ends: Use a sharp knife to cut off both ends of the vanilla pod.
Split the bean: Hold the pod steady at one end. Starting from the middle, carefully slice the pod lengthwise to the other end. You can cut through the entire length in one go or split it in halves.
Open the bean: Use your fingers to gently open the pod, exposing the small seeds inside.
Scrape the Seeds: Using the back of the knife, scrape along the inside of the pod to collect the seeds. These seeds can be added directly to your recipe.
Use the bean: Don't discard the pod after scraping out the seeds. The empty pod still has a lot of flavor and can be used to infuse liquids like milk, cream, or syrups.
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Here a few of my favorites simple drinks with this infusion.
Pineapple Daiquiri
2 oz Pineapple Infused Rum
0.75 oz fresh lime juice
Half teaspoon granulated cane sugar
Into a shaker add the sugar, pour the lime juice, dissolve.
I suggest to use a milk-frother for best result, now add the pineapple rum.
Shake vigorously with ice cubes.
Pour into a chilled cocktail coupe
If you like more aromatic add a few drops of Angostura Bitters on top.
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Pineapple Negroni
1 oz Pineapple Infused Rum
1 oz Sweet Italian Vermouth [I use Martini Rubino Riserva Speciale]
1 oz Bitter Campari or Martini Bitter Riserva]
1 bar spoon of Cynar
Pour all the ingredients in a mixing glass.
Add ice
Stir & Strain into a glass, either a Nick and Nora glass or over a large ice cube in a old fashioned glass. Twist an orange peel over the drink and use it as a garnish.
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The Spilt [Old Fashioned]
1 oz Pineapple Infused Rum
1 oz Bourbon Whiskey [I use Woodford Reserve]
0.25 oz Old Fashioned Oleo Saccharum***
Stir & Strain over a large ice cube in a old fashioned glass. Twist an orange peel over the drink along with a Luxardo Maraschino cherry
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***Old Fashioned Oleo Saccharum
Ingredients: 4 Fresh Oranges 150g granulated Demerara Sugar
Instructions: 1.Peel the Oranges: Remove the peel from the oranges in long strips, making sure to cut away any white pith. 2. Mix and Infuse: Combine the peels and sugar in a glass bowl or bag. 3. Mix well and cover. Let it sit for 24 hours. 4. After 24 hours, there may still be some undissolved sugar 5. Add 4 or more dashes of Angostura Bitters and stir until fully dissolved. 6. Strain the mixture into a bottle. Refrigerate.
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