Pisco sour balances grape brandy, fresh lime and simple syrup under a silky egg-white foam. This Peruvian-style recipe makes one cocktail in five minutes with chilled syrup ready, using pasteurized egg white and an aromatic bitters finish.
Pisco Sour at a Glance
Pisco Sour Recipe
This lime-forward version uses 2 ounces of pisco, 1 ounce of lime juice and ¾ ounce of simple syrup. Recipes vary by bar and region; this is a practical starting point for making one drink at home. Use a pasteurized egg white because the cocktail is served uncooked.
Pisco Sour (Peruvian-Style Cocktail)
A bright, frothy pisco sour made with fresh lime, simple syrup and a pasteurized egg white. Shake one cocktail in 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 fl oz (60 ml) Peruvian pisco, such as Quebranta or acholado
- 1 fl oz (30 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
- 3/4 fl oz (22 ml) simple syrup (1:1 sugar to water)
- 1 large pasteurized egg white
- Ice cubes, enough to fill the shaker halfway
- 3 drops Angostura or Amargo Chuncho bitters, to finish
Instructions
- Chill a coupe or small rocks glass. Measure the pisco, lime juice and cooled simple syrup.
- Add the pisco, lime juice, syrup and pasteurized egg white to a clean cocktail shaker, without ice. Secure the lid and shake vigorously for 15 seconds.
- Open the shaker carefully, add ice until about half full, then close and shake for another 15–20 seconds, until the tin feels very cold.
- Strain into the chilled glass without ice. Let the foam settle briefly, then add 3 drops of bitters on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Equipment: cocktail shaker, jigger, citrus juicer and strainer. US fluid ounces are used; metric quantities are rounded.
Simple syrup: dissolve equal volumes of sugar and water; cool fully before measuring. The 5-minute timing assumes syrup is already made and chilled.
Egg-free option: replace the egg white with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas. Foam varies by brand. For a vegan cocktail, also check the pisco and bitters with their producers.
Use pasteurized egg white for this uncooked recipe and follow package storage directions. Keep yolk and grease out of the shaker for better foam.
For a less tart drink, add 1 teaspoon more syrup to taste. Mix each serving just before drinking.
Pisco Sour Ingredients: What Each One Does
- Pisco: the grape brandy at the heart of the drink. Its character comes through even with citrus and syrup, so choose a bottle whose aroma you enjoy.
- Fresh lime juice: provides the sour edge. Squeeze shortly before mixing and strain out seeds. Avoid pressing the peel hard, which can add bitterness.
- Simple syrup: sweetens evenly without leaving sugar granules in the glass. This recipe uses a 1:1 syrup, made with equal volumes of sugar and water. Rich 2:1 syrup is sweeter and should not be substituted measure for measure.
- Pasteurized egg white: gives the drink its airy cap and soft texture. Keep any yolk out of the white.
- Bitters: a few drops of Angostura or Amargo Chuncho finish the foam. The two have different aromatic profiles; either can complement the drink.
- Ice: chills and dilutes during shaking. Strain it out before serving.
Lime or lemon in a pisco sour?
Use fresh lime for the recipe above. Lemon is another option, but it changes the flavor. The International Bartenders Association’s recipe specifies lemon juice and slightly less syrup, showing why different recipes do not all taste the same. Follow one set of quantities first, then adjust the next drink to your taste.
Which Pisco Is Best for a Pisco Sour?
For a Peruvian-style pisco sour, start with a Peruvian Quebranta or acholado. Quebranta is a useful introduction to the spirit; an acholado blends grapes and can bring a different aromatic balance. You do not need to buy the most expensive bottle to make a good cocktail.
| Label | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Puro | Made from one grape variety. Check the grape name: Quebranta and Italia can give quite different results. |
| Acholado | A blend of grape varieties, with a flavor that depends on the producer’s blend. |
| Mosto verde | Distilled from partially fermented grape must. This describes the production method; it does not mean you can skip the cocktail’s syrup. |
Producer BarSol explains these pisco styles. For more background on the spirit, see our guide to pisco.
How to Make a Pisco Sour with Silky Foam
Shake twice: first without ice, then with ice. The first shake builds foam; the second chills the drink and adds dilution. Use a clean shaker with enough space for the ingredients to move, and hold both parts securely.
- Chill the glass. A coupe or small rocks glass works well. Empty any chilling ice or water before pouring.
- Dry shake for 15 seconds. Combine pisco, lime, syrup and egg white without ice. Shake vigorously.
- Add ice and shake again. Shake for 15–20 seconds, until the tin feels cold.
- Strain and finish. Pour without ice, allow the foam to settle briefly, then place three drops of bitters on top. Draw a cocktail pick through the drops for a simple pattern.
Small adjustments work best. Taste before garnishing. If the drink is too tart, stir in 1 teaspoon of syrup. If it is too sweet, try 1 teaspoon of lime juice. Make a note of the adjustment for your next cocktail.
Why is my pisco sour not foamy?
- Yolk or grease in the shaker: wash the equipment and use a cleanly separated white.
- A short or gentle shake: give the dry shake a full 15 seconds and shake with energy.
- Too much in the shaker: make one drink at a time until you know your shaker’s capacity.
- A carton that does not whip well: check the egg-white label. Some products perform differently from a pasteurized shell egg.
- A long wait before serving: foam settles, so prepare the glasses first and serve promptly.
Pisco Sour Without Egg White and Other Variations
Egg-free pisco sour with aquafaba
Replace the egg white with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) aquafaba, the liquid from canned chickpeas. Keep the other measurements and use the same two-shake method. Choose plain aquafaba without strong seasoning; foam thickness varies. For a vegan version, check the pisco and bitters with their producers as well.
You can also leave out both egg white and aquafaba. Shake the pisco, lime and syrup with ice and strain. The result will have a lighter texture and no thick foam cap.
Passion fruit pisco sour
For a fruit variation, start with ½ ounce lime juice and ½ ounce unsweetened passion fruit pulp in place of the 1 ounce lime juice. Keep the pisco and foam ingredient the same. Passion fruit products vary in sweetness and acidity, so adjust the syrup to taste.
Pineapple or ginger variations
For pineapple, replace half the lime juice with pineapple juice. For ginger, replace the plain simple syrup with ginger syrup of similar sweetness. Change one ingredient at a time so you can judge the balance.
Alcohol-free sour inspired by pisco sour
Use an alcohol-free spirit alternative in place of pisco, or try white grape juice with lime and aquafaba. Start with less syrup if the base is sweet. Use alcohol-free bitters or omit them: conventional cocktail bitters generally contain alcohol. This creates a sour-style mocktail with a different flavor from pisco.
Peruvian vs. Chilean Pisco Sour
Both Peru and Chile have strong pisco traditions. The Peruvian-style cocktail is closely associated with lime, egg-white foam and bitters. Chilean preparations use Chilean pisco and vary in citrus, sweetener and use of egg white. A single ingredient is not a reliable way to identify every regional recipe.
The recipe on this page is a Peruvian-style preparation. If you use Chilean pisco, begin with the same measurements and adjust the sweet–sour balance to the bottle and citrus you have.
Where did the pisco sour originate?
Peru’s official tourism account traces the cocktail’s early history to Morris’ Bar in Lima in the 1920s and also discusses the Hotel Maury’s role in its development. The details of who first made each version are debated. Its connection to Lima’s bar culture is a useful starting point without treating every origin story as settled fact.
Serving and Making Pisco Sours for Guests
Serve immediately in a chilled glass without ice. Set out your glasses, jigger and bitters before shaking. For a meal, pair the citrusy cocktail with savory lomo saltado, pollo a la brasa, or Peruvian ceviche.
For four servings: measure 8 ounces (240 ml) pisco, 4 ounces (120 ml) fresh lime juice and 3 ounces (90 ml) simple syrup. Divide that base equally into four portions. Add one pasteurized egg white to each portion and shake each with ice using the recipe’s dry-shake method first. Finish each glass with three drops of bitters. Metric quantities are rounded.
Prepare syrup ahead and chill it. Squeeze the citrus close to serving, keep ingredients refrigerated, and add egg white only when ready to shake. Do not prepare the finished foamy drinks hours in advance.
Pisco Sour FAQs
What does a pisco sour taste like?
It tastes citrusy and tart, with sweetness to soften the lime and grape-spirit aromas from the pisco. Egg white changes the texture more than the flavor, giving the drink a creamy-feeling foam without cream.
What is the pisco sour ratio?
This recipe uses 2:1:¾ pisco, lime juice and simple syrup. You may also see 3:1:1 recipes. These produce a different balance, especially when the syrup concentration changes; use the measurements and syrup type specified by your chosen recipe.
Can I use a blender instead of a shaker?
A blender can make foam, but it also breaks up ice quickly and changes dilution. The recipe here is written for a shaker, so its shaking times should not be treated as blender timings. Blend only briefly if adapting the method and serve straight away.
Is raw egg white safe in a pisco sour?
Use pasteurized egg white for this uncooked drink, or choose aquafaba. The FDA recommends pasteurized eggs or egg products for egg-containing foods and drinks that will not be thoroughly cooked. Keep them refrigerated and follow the package instructions.
How strong is a pisco sour?
It depends on the pisco’s labeled alcohol strength and how much water the ice adds. A cocktail made with 2 ounces of 40% ABV pisco starts with 0.8 fluid ounce of pure alcohol before dilution. The finished drink’s ABV is lower than the bottle’s, but it is still an alcoholic cocktail.
When is Pisco Sour Day?
Peru celebrates Pisco Sour Day on the first Saturday in February, as listed by Peru’s official tourism site.
Ready to explore more drinks? Browse our pisco cocktails guide for other ways to use the bottle.
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.