Out and About on Assignment:  Lulu del Rosario

There was no shortage of International representation at the 2011 Winter Fancy Food Show!  We tried our best to field our team of five to cover the entire show in a span of three days.  On our second day we spent a couple hours in the international section and were pleased to find Peru represented by Vinas de Oro.  And I got a little taste of Pisco, with a drop of aromatic bitters and a tinge of lime.  Peruvian signature drink.

Pisco from Vinas de Oro

Pisco means “little bird”.  It is also the name of a town in Peru.  Pisco is made from grapes. From Wikipedia:  Pisco received its name from the town of Pisco, located on the coast of Peru.^[2] The origins of the word pisco can be traced to the Quechua language where the birds that inhabited the valleys of the Ica region were called pisqu (or any of: pisco, pisku, phishgo, pichiu, pisccu depending on the orthography). The origin of the city of Pisco is said to be from pre-Incan times when the area was ruled by people known as the Piskus. The importance of the city incremented under Spanish rule due to its proximity to the coast and its exportation of aguardiente from Ica, and in time these drinks would come to bear the name “Pisco.”

Serving Suggestion (3-1-1):

Add all ingredients to a mixer with ice. Shake well (until ice is melted), and serve in a cocktail glass.

Sampling Pisco from Vinas de Oro

By the time we were done taste testing our ‘drink’ we were beginning to think about the Summer Fancy Food show because we were having so much fun.  We were meeting interesting people and I was with a certified foodista who, in the first place, made me stop, look and taste this international delight.

Cheers!