The Unique Peruvian Cocktail You Can Make With Egg Whites
Eggs are great for many things. They're great for making L'Omelette Roulée, or for adding to a Burger Americana. However, when mixing up a stiff drink, the average person doesn't often say to themselves, "What this really needs is a little bit of egg in it." That average person is actually missing out on a very useful cocktail ingredient that can not only change the way a drink looks and tastes, but can also give them a little protein boost in case they like to hit the free weights while drunk — which is not a good idea, according to Time.
Liquor.com claims that egg whites have been making an appearance in cocktails since the beginning of the 19th century. One need only take a gander at an eggnog recipe, complete with plenty of bourbon, to see that when egg and alcohol meet, magical things you may or may not remember can happen.
The fine people of Peru have learned that using eggs can help enhance their drinking experience. This is why they crafted a type of smooth sour that uses egg whites to improve the drink, making much more than just another humdrum rum and coke or simplistic screwdriver.
Silky egg whites and brandy create the national drink of Peru
When thinking of Peru, it's easy to think of the ruins of Machu Picchu, the Incan temple Britannica says sits above the Urubamba River valley. Then there's the Nazca Lines, which the History Channel explains are massive geoglyphs near Lima. Those are cute if you like the past, but are absolutely no help if you're looking for a buzz. For that, you need a pisco sour.
If the term "pisco" is unfamiliar, that's because it's a favorite liquor in South America, and is the national spirit of Peru, according to Taste Cocktails, but doesn't always get the recognition it deserves, worldwide. It's made using grapes, but it's a brandy, rather than a wine, says Spirits Beacon. Like most brandies, it can be used in a variety of cocktails, but it's often best recognized for the pisco sour.
Peru for Less says that the pisco sour is the national cocktail of Peru, and is made with simple syrup, pisco brandy, and egg whites, along with a few other ingredients. The full pisco sour recipe includes bitters and lemon or lime, because otherwise it would be a pisco sweet. The importance of the egg whites, according to Saveur, is to create a smooth, silky texture to the drink. It's this very texture that helps make the pisco sour a pleasure to drink.
Other noteworthy pisco cocktails
Whipping up an egg white and pisco delight is a great way to start, but once you've started down the pisco road, you might not want to stop. This unique brandy has a special South American flair to it, which makes it an unusual choice for recipes. If you learn to mix pisco well, you can impress not only your palate, but your circle of hard-drinking cocktail friends, también.
After mastering the pisco sour, you'll be ready for the next pisco revelation, the Pinecone. The 'Cone requires muddling cloves, some Cuarenta Y Tres, and mead. Yeah, mead. Conquer that and you'll be a pisco master.
For those who want a little more sweetness, there's the pisco punch. This is also simpler, making it a great brunch cocktail when you've outgrown the mimosas. It has a little chai in the mix, for that international homemade pumpkin spice taste. That should be enough to get you started, and let you know if the pisco life is the life for you.