Elsie and I both came back from our trip to Chile completely in LOVE with pisco sours. They seemed to be on the menu everywhere we went. Most places had their own take on this classic cocktail, which usually involves pisco, lime or lemon juice, egg white, and bitters. Pisco is a type of brandy produced throughout Chile and Peru. It’s not a spirit that I see often where I live, so I think that was part of the appeal as well. Vacation drink!
Our very favorite pisco sour that we had turned out to be quite different. The owner of this tiny beach restaurant we were at for lunch one day told me that they had the very best pisco sour. So of course, we had to try that. And you know what, she was right! It was amazing although totally different from any other we had sampled before. It was very lime-y with little bits of lime zest floating throughout it. It was served in a sugar-rimmed margarita glass and was basically the consistency of a slushy. I know that probably sounds VERY strange to anyone who drinks pisco sours often, but it was SO delicious and the absolute perfect beach-side cocktail. So this version of a pisco sour is very much inspired by that one. 🙂
We are also stoked to be working with Vitamix again this year. We found out that they now offer their blender in a copper tone, and I about died of happiness. Ha! I know it might seem silly to be so excited about the color of your appliance, but look at this way: I’ve spent quite a bit of time and money giving my kitchen lots of TLC. We installed a new tile backsplash as well as painted all our kitchen cabinets since moving in. So it’s absolutely awesome for one of the appliances that I always have sitting out on my counter top, in full view, to be so pretty! Makes me even more excited to wake up and make our morning smoothies. 🙂 Right now, you can find these beauties exclusively at Williams-Sonoma.
But this post isn’t about smoothies. It’s about a super frothy and amazing tasting cocktail that will make you so ready for summer to start.
1 1/2 oz. Pisco
2 tablespoons sugar
juice from one lime (about 3/4 oz.)
zest from one lime
1 egg white
1 to 1 1/2 cups of ice
In a blender combine the sugar, lime juice, and lime zest. Blend until the sugar dissolves. Add the pisco, egg white, and ice. Blend until combined and very frothy.
This is a very simple cocktail to make, but I’ve also got some additional notes for you to consider. First, as I mentioned, pisco isn’t a spirit that I see often where I live. So I was only able to buy a Peruvian pisco. I suspect that the majority of the pisco I had in Chile was, well, from Chile. I’m not an expert, but I was reading more about pisco online and most sources seem to indicate that Chilean pisco tends to be sweeter than Peruvian. I mention this simply because if you end up buying a Chilean pisco, you may consider scaling back the sugar in this recipe a little. But just give your pisco a sip and see what you think. 🙂
Second, you can see in the photos that I peeled my lime wedge and let the blender do the zesting for me. If you go this route, take care as you peel to try to avoid as much of the white pith under the green exterior as you can. This part can be a bit bitter, so you don’t want tons of it in your cocktail. If you don’t feel confident with your peeling skills, just zest with a box grater or zester if you have one.
And the third thing I want to mention is regarding the egg white. Egg white is a pretty common ingredient in cocktails, especially older/classic cocktails. As air gets incorporated into the egg white, either by the blender like in this recipe, or from shaking a cocktail, it makes the egg white very frothy and will impart this texture to your drink. If raw egg white just isn’t something you feel comfortable consuming though—no worries. I made this cocktail without the egg white as well, and it’s still very, very tasty. It will just make the consistency a little denser and more like a slushy (think frozen margarita).
You could definitely double or triple this recipe and blend all at once if you are making these for a small group. I garnished mine with a sugar rim and a lime rose, but you could add a lime wedge or wheel or a sprig of mint to dress it up a bit instead. Add a dash of Angostura bitters to the top if you like, totally optional though. Thanks for letting me share a new favorite cocktail with you all! xx. Emma
Frozen Pisco Sours
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. Pisco
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- juice from one lime about 3/4 oz.
- zest from one lime
- 1 egg white
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups of ice
Instructions
-
In a blender combine the sugar, lime juice, and lime zest. Blend until the sugar dissolves. Add the pisco, egg white, and ice. Blend until combined and very frothy.
Recipe Notes
One thing I want to mention is regarding the egg white. Egg white is a pretty common ingredient in cocktails, especially older/classic cocktails. As air gets incorporated into the egg white, either by the blender like in this recipe, or from shaking a cocktail, it makes the egg white very frothy and will impart this texture to your drink. If raw egg white just isn’t something you feel comfortable consuming though—no worries. I made this cocktail without the egg white as well, and it’s still very, very tasty. It will just make the consistency a little denser and more like a slushy (think frozen margarita).
Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
38 Comments
Those cups!!! Where are they from?!
ERMGH copper Vitamix! Drool.
This looks DEVINE! I can’t wait to try!!!!
And, just a helpful hint: if you buy boxed egg whites, they are pasteurized, making them totally safe to consume raw!
those cups?!!! details pls…
The serving cups are totally adorable… and it looks like I’m not the only one who thinks so, lol. Please let us know where we can procure those gorgeous little cups!
Looks sooo refreshing!!
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Thanks!! M
YES! We drank pisco sours pretty much constantly when I was in Chile for a week in college. That and the smell of wood-burning stoves always brings me right back 🙂
Lovely!
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Williams Sonoma!
Williams Sonoma! 😉
Copper is the principal source of Chile’s GDP, so everything lines up perfectly! Jajaja
This looks really good! http://www.hannamarielei.com
I made a pisco sour for myself a while back and really liked it! I don’t know why I haven’t made it again. This frozen version sounds amazing! I’m going to break the pisco out and try it! Thanks for sharing!
Laura
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I’m glad you mentioned Peru. I’m peruvian and there’s always a dispute about where the pisco sour is from, lol. But considering that there’s a city here called Pisco, I guess you can imagine where it all originated. Either way I’m glad you enjoyed the cocktail, it’s the most popular national drink here. Next time you’re in south america, come by Peru. Just like Chile, there’s a lot to see here! 🙂
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looks delicious! also those cups are adorable! where are they from?
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I absolutely love my Vitamix!!! It’s white, but matches my kitchen and my other appliances…
This drink looks divine!
my boyfriend’s mom is from Peru and she made us these drinks once. I was not a fan haha. The frothy texture was not something I was into.
This looks so delicious! I’m such a fan of tart, limey cocktails – so many out there are just too sweet. I think I’d do well in Chile 🙂
Alex
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“Ça a l’air trop bon.” That look so good.
Never heard of Pisco before, it sounds very interesting! Let’s see if I can get it here in Germany…
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Yet another reason to get a blender – I have a hand blender but I’ve been meaning to get a stand-alone for some time. And this copper one is officially my newest obsession… so cute!
Lisa Favre
http://marblecrumbs.com
I recently discovered I really enjoy pisco sours, but this is stepping it up a notch. I’ll have to give this a try this weekend! Friday happy hour anyone? 😉
oh!did u say Chile?!!!wow i heard they have fog catchers(the nets)…that is a pretty cool place to go.
When I make Pisco Sours I make a big batch, using the whole 750cc bottle. To that I add a one-inch knob of ginger, grated, because the ginger gives it an added zip. I usually freeze this in a one liter plastic bottle, so I’m prepared for visitors. Pisco Sours are tastiest when made with the “limón de pica” which you show in the pictures. Regular yellow lemons just don’t have the same flavor.
Love your blog, by the way!
I dont know what I want more, that cocktail, or those cups, where are they from?!
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Williams Sonoma 🙂 -Jacki
Searched high and low cannot find the cups. Disappointed????
Last night I had my first pisco sour ever, so I’m taking this as a sign that they should be in my life all the time.
These look super refreshing! I’m going to have to make a mocktail version of this!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Looks delicious !!
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I’ve never had a pisco sour before but it sounds so delicious! I only need it to warm up a bit in Portland so that I can truly enjoy this drink! Thanks for sharing!
-Helen
http://www.sweethelengrace.com
Oh my gosh, my husband loves Pisco ever since he studied abroad in Chile. We’ll have to try this frozen treat!
Keri
http://www.thestylestudiobykb.com
OK so I’ve been looking for another great cocktail recipe to celebrate the arrival of spring and this one knocks it right out. Thanks so much for sharing and I’m sure this will turn out great for us.
Hugs KaSonndra
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This looks so good!
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Amazing 🙂
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Pisco is Peruvian, and so is our famous Pisco Sour. The recipe calls for 2-3 drops of Angostura Bitters. Visit Perú, so much to see!
This sounds delicious! I love Pisco sours. We had lots of them when we were in Peru. Never had a frozen version before. Definitely making this for our next game night.
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Hello!
I love this! I am definitely going to have to try this at my next dinner party.
I was also going through your 5 years of food blogging post and wanted to say that you really inspire me. I am a professional chef, but only have been blogging for just a little time. I already notice changes in my photography and cooking on my own is completely different than cooking in restaurants. Thank you for showing that this can be done successfully!