Pisco, a Wonder from the Past Made New!
Destileria La Caravedo (©photos courtesy of Pisco Porton)
Venerable traditions have produced a legacy of fine spirits around the world. The French have their cognac, the Scots have their single malts, Russians and Poles have their vodkas, and Peruvians have Pisco!
On a recent evening in Manhattan we received an education par excellence from the man who is probably the world’s foremost Pisco expert, Peruvian and Master Distiller, Johnny Schuler.
Pisco is among the most unique liquors, elegantly distilled from wine by strict protocols that Mr. Schuler himself helped establish. Some call it an unwooded brandy, but that contradiction in terms just accentuates the singular nature of Pisco, a liquor so clean it glistens when neatly poured into a clear glass.
The distilling of Pisco was begun in the 1600s by Peru’s Spanish occupiers. Today, the Pisco Sour is a mainstay at all kinds of occasions in what was once the land of the Incas. It enjoyed some popularity in the U.S. in the 19th century, when the Pisco Punch was served in San Fransisco’s watering holes, but it virtually disappeared from the states with the onset of Prohibition.
Johnny Schuler
Mr. Schuler and his business partners are on a mission to reintroduce Pisco to American imbibers with a new premium creation, Pisco Portón. Mr. Schuler oversees its distillation in a most personal way, tasting each batch underway at the Destileria La Caravedo until it is ready to serve. Under the rules he helped develop, Pisco must be distilled to proof rather than watered until the desired strength is achieved. It is a painstaking process that assures the singular quality of the spirit.
The work takes place in a state of the art facility on the same site as the oldest distillery in the Western Hemisphere, where Jesuit priests distilled Pisco in 1684. No other place on earth has the same terroir. The vineyards are guarded by mountains and there is almost no rain, but plenty of warm sunshine during the day, followed by chilly nights.
Sustainablility
Pisco Portón is committed to eco-friendly business practices and sustainability. Thus its new distillery was constructed with many waste reducing features, including a roof garden to naturally convert carbon dioxide emitted by fermentation into oxygen. There are gravity-fed channels at decrease reliance on electrical pumps, and a water treatment system that recycles water from the distillation process into irrigation water for the vineyards.
To learn more about Peru’s historic spirit, go to: Pisco Portón
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