Before there was Margaritas first came the Pisco Punch

February 20, 2017 SouthAmerica

This Peruvian Pisco based drink first originated in San Francisco by Scotsman Duncan Nicol after taking over the Bank Exchange in 1893. The imported Pisco “brandy” was a California favorite. The Pisco punch was somewhat unknowingly praised by Kipling as the Pisco Button. Duncan made his famous Pisco Punch until prohibition era. For a more detailed account we recommend the book “History of Pisco in San Francisco” by Guillermo Toro Lira.

Post-prohibition tequila was introduced into the USA market. Margaritas originated on the Baja California coast in 1937-1938, and then in 1947 it was popularized in San Diego. Pisco was forgotten about in California for decades. Furthermore, long before Margaritas the lime-based drink Pisco Sour was invented in Lima in 1916. We are uncertain when Pisco Sour first arrived in California (it still really has not become popular, except of being served in Peruvian restaurants).

Pisco Punch has much of the same refreshing qualities as a Margarita, but without the salt, and it is a sweeter drink. Pisco Punch in many ways sits between a Margarita and a Mai Tai, the latter of which also came from California in 1944. The Pisco Punch pre-dates both these giant cocktails and therefore warrants re-discovery.

The original Pisco Punch recipe uses a whole fresh ripened pineapple fruit, cut up in pieces covered in powdered sugar and soaked overnight in Pisco. In wintertime heartland USA it is hard to find a good fresh pineapple, therefore we use canned Dole brand pineapple slices. Considering how expensive Pisco is we only prepared one pineapple slice per person, using just enough Pisco to cover it and then we soaked it overnight. The spiked pineapple provides the extra “punch” to the drink!

Ingredients

Serves (1)

1 slice of Dole pineapple cut up in pieces (soaked in Pisco)

1 1/2 oz. of Pisco

1 oz. of syrup

2 oz. pineapple juice

Juice from half a lime

Ice cubes

Preparation

In a short glass put some ice cubes, add the Pisco, Pisco-soaked pineapple, lime juice, syrup, pineapple juice and mix gently.

Garnish with either pineapple or some cherries for color.