Discover Gran Sierpe Pisco

Welcome to the World of Pisco

Pisco Grapes

For the audacious, the trendsetting, or just plain ol’ curious type, pisco is a tale of sublime culture, flavor and mystery concocted into one mighty fine libation.

Although there is much discrepancy surrounding the pisco’s origins, there is no doubting the entrancement it’s had over imbibers for centuries. In fact, Rudyard Kipling was so taken aback by the pisco encompassing pisco punch that he is noted to have described it as “compounded of the shavings of cherubs’ wings, the glory of a tropical dawn, the red clouds of sunset, and the fragments of lost epics by dead masters.”

While we attempt to uncover the facts surrounding pisco, there is no denying this versatile clear liquor’s enigmatic nature. Its ambiguity has existed since its discovery, from the friction of rightful ownership between Chile and Peru, to the true essence of the spirit with roots seeped in history versus its newness with the recent American rediscovery. Even the taste of the elixir is conflicting; the drink is deceitfully strong, sneaking up on its victim like a furtive team of ninjas on a covert mission to get their subject comfortably inebriated.

Much like David Lynch films and Tom Selleck’s mustache, pisco lives on as a cryptic piece of legendary history, the underground spirit immersed in a bustling cohesion of lore, secrets and controversy.

Learn more about Pisco and how it is made

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The Beginnings – Colonial Times - Early 1500’s to 1800’s

Back in the olden days of Southern Peru, early Incas inhabited a beautiful valley. ‘Twas a glorious time in a land abundant with an array of beautiful birds and indigenous potters. The Incan word for the birds inhabiting the region became known as “pisscus” and the ceramic pots produced within the region were deemed “piscos”.

As most history would have it, the Spanish conquistadors invaded the humble lands in the early 1500’s and began pillaging the natives. However, with the desolation of the people came the fruitfulness of the land. Lead by the explorer Caravantes, the Spaniards brought grapes from the Canary Islands for production of wine in the Americas. Once this wine was available for consumption, it was drunk in the colonies and exported back to the homeland for sale. Unfortunately for the Spanish incumbents, the King at the time, Felipe II, under pressure from Iberian wine producers, banned the sale of New World wines in Spain. Thus, a viticultural society formed for the production of grapes, and began to experiment with distillation by placing the brandy in the Incan piscos. Eventually the stored liquid took on the name of its storage container, forevermore to be referred to as ‘pisco’.

The growth in popularity came from trade and sailors drinking pisco on voyages throughout the world after stopping in Southern Peru. It wasn’t until the advent of good rum production in the 1800’s that pisco began losing some of its popularity among the maritime crowd. Exports of pisco to all parts of the world began in the 1700’s and continue to this day.

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Caravantes Coat of Arms

Caravantes, the first conquistador known to do so, brings grapes to the Continent for wine production.

 

Pisco Map

First-recorded maps of Peru show the port in the South named “Pisco” thus naming the region, its port, and its town officially for the use in trade and commerce.

 

Falca Document

First known document referring to the aguardiente made from grapes and the colonial style kettle still called a falca.

 

King Felipe

King Felipe II bans imports of colonial wines to Spain.

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Gold Rush + Bank Exchange Saloon 1830- 1949

By the 19th century, Pisco had made its way to North America. So long as anyone can uncover, Pisco first started arriving in San Francisco in the 1830’s and became pretty popular during the gold rush of 1849. However, it was not until Duncan Nicol took over the historic “Bank Exchange” saloon in 1893 and created the renowned “Pisco Punch” that the pisco really began to make a splash. With Duncan’s reign came several “atypical” practices. One being that only two pisco punches were offered to a customer at a time; if a patron wanted more than two, he was obligated to walk around the block first. Another brilliant idea Nicol had was to keep the recipe on lockdown to the point that he would only produce one drink at a time behind a bar grate. He remained mum on the recipe even after the Exchange closed its doors in 1919 due to American Prohibition. The recipe was thought to have died with him when he conveniently did so in 1926. However, thanks to his backstabbing bar manager, John Lannes, the formula was unearthed once again, and in 1973, California Historical Society published the components of the punch for all the world to steal and enjoy the heaven-bestowed drink.

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Stack of Dollar bills

The height of the Gold Rush, pisco was the most expensive liquor to be found in saloons throughout the region.

 

200 Jars of Pisco document

A court case involving the illegal seizure of Pisco by the U.S. government titled in court records as the “U.S. vs. 200 Jars of Pisco.” – proof of the spirit arriving from peru to the U.S.

 

Bank Exchange Bar

Birth of the “Pisco Punch” at the Bank Exchange Bar and Billiard Saloon in downtown San Francisco. Its known creator Duncan Nicoll was said to take the recipe to his grave.

 

Victor Morris

Birth of the “Pisco Sour” at the Morris Bar in Lima, Peru; the bar’s American owner, Victor Morris, was inspired by a whiskey sour recipe... and a lack of whiskey.

 

Prohibition strikes the United States

Prohibition kills any and all chance for Pisco or any other liquor to be consumed legally (or gain legitimate popularity) in the U.S.

 

Repeal! Booze is legal! Rejoice.

Repeal of Prohibition and the return of the legal drink to American social life. Unfortunately, the popularity of the margarita -- and its less expensive liquor ingredient, tequila -- further hampered the pisco resurgence after Prohibition.

 

Pisco Punch

Many San Francisco based businesses try to capitalize on the earlier popularity of “Pisco Punch” by selling a bottled version of the product. This did not go well for those involved and the product slowly fell from prominence.

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Modern Times 1950-2010

Truth be told, with the enlistment of prohibition, pisco was thought to have seen its last days. Once prohibition was repealed, much of the history of pisco in the U.S. was lost, and has just recently been recovered as many premium Pisco producers attempt to introduce this great spirit again to the American consumer. With the recent surge in exports, the traditional libation has taken the contemporary cocktail world by storm. Between the LA Times accrediting the latin spirit as “gaining in popularity in the United States, and it’s about time” and the Washington Post asserting that 2010 would be “the year of premium pisco” there is an indubitable resurgence taking over the North American palate.

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Agrarian Reform

Agrarian reform in Peru: socialized government takes private lands and gifts them in small parcels to the indigenous peasant population. All agriculture production is limited and regressed. Pisco becomes a second-class product made mostly without quality control.

 

By Supreme Decree of the Peruvian Government, an appellation of origin is given to Pisco as well as a full description of technical information as to the production which became a standardized process that day.

Pisco Es Peru announcement

 

National Pisco Contest

The First Annual National Pisco Contest held in Peru.

 

Peruvian Flag

Birth of the Council to regulate the Denomination of Origin for Pisco.

 

Chile Flag

Peruvian Pisco exports surpass those of Chile for the first time in history.

 

Gran Sierpe Bottle

Gran Sierpe Pisco is born in the US.

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The Future of Pisco 2011 -

Premium brands like Gran Sierpe Pisco are helping ensure the continuing presence of the spirit. Through the innovation of new drinks, grandiose events and mainstream assimilation, the future is currently being written by the great pisco labels that are taking the American taste buds for a ride down memory lane.

Check out the Discover Pisco event lineup

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