A tart and sweet cocktail with a strong Pisco kick, this drink might soon become your favorite summer tipple.
There are plenty of Sour cocktails out there to try, such as the original Whiskey Sour. But, what exactly makes a cocktail a “Sour”? This type of drink is from one of the old families of cocktails, which are written about in author Jerry Thomas’ 1862 book “How to Mix Drinks”. For this style of libation to be around for more than 160 years, it must be doing something right.
My very first cocktail was a Sour. I was in college and had just had my 21st birthday, so a few friends and I drove into town to hit up a local pub. I wanted something special and memorable for my very first tipple, but I knew next to nothing about the world of cocktails or spirits. Even beer was a mystery to me. I’m not sure where I remembered or picked up the name, but the only thing I could think of when the bartender approached me was to ask for a Whiskey Sour. And I remember it well, watching the barkeep pour in premade sour mix from a packet along with some well whiskey. I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t until years later that I had a proper Sour, not made with a prepackaged mix, but with fresh ingredients. And egg white, which blew my mind.
With Sours, you have a base spirit, and for this recipe today we will be making ours with pisco. And what makes the cocktail a “Sour” is the citrus used in the recipe. Usually lime juice is used with these drinks, giving them that tart flavor that lends the cocktail its name. For a slightly sweeter take, you can replace the lime with lemon juice. The grape-distilled pisco adds a different flavor to your drink than a whiskey would. Whiskey will give your Sour those earthy, woodsy notes, while the pisco delivers a sweeter vibe that really freshens up the citrus and adds some extra oomph to what the simple syrup brings to the party.
What we’re making today is a very easy and simple variation on the traditional Pisco Sour, the Maracuyá or Passionfruit Sour. Passionfruit is an amazing combination of both sweet and tart flavors, adding an extra layer of tang and bite to your cocktail. You might not have ever traveled to Peru, but with one these beverages on hand, you might feel as though you’ve taken a little relaxing trip.
What is the Best Alcohol to Use to Make a Maracuyá Sour?
Why pisco, of course! Hailing from Peru, as well as neighboring Chile, this imported spirit is offered by a number of brands. There’s a few different styles of pisco. For example, a “puro” pisco is usually made from one grape variety, while an “acholado” hails from two or more. Play around with your Sour by trying different varieties of this spirit to find the flavor that you like best. That’s part of the fun when playing with cocktail recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 ounce pisco
- 1 1/2 ounce passion fruit juice
- 1/2 ounce lime juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 1 egg white approximately 2 tbsp or 1 ounce
- 2 drops aromatic bitters optional, such as Angostura
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, add the pisco, passion fruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white.
- Secure the lid and shake for about 15 seconds without ice to emulsify the egg white.
- Add ice to the shaker and shake again until well-chilled, about 30 seconds.
- Strain the mixture into a chilled glass and top with a couple of drops of bitters.
Nutrition
FAQs & Tips
A chilled rocks glass is a nice, traditional way of serving up your Sour. A coupe glass will fill in nicely as well, if you’re feeling a little sophisticated. Sprinkle a few drops of bitters on top of the froth for a little bite as you sip.
Because we’re making this drink with egg white foam, I would strongly recommend that once you’ve whipped one up you serve and drink it fresh.
A glass of the Maracuyá Sour will be between 190 and 200 calories, depending on the amount of ingredients you’re playing with.
Pisco is classified as a brandy and is distilled from grapes. Made in both Peru and Chile, this spirit carries not only the grape flavor, but citrus and vanilla notes as well. With some styles of pisco being as high as 86 proof or more, this is one mixer that brings a little kick to your cocktails.
There are plenty of easy recipes online you can find that mix passionfruit puree and water for homemade juice. But the easiest way, and what we use in our recipe, is to buy passionfruit juice concentrate from your local grocery store. There a few well known brands that sell this product, so it shouldn’t be an issue finding any.
Similar Cocktails to the Maracuyá Sour
If you’re new to Pisco or are interested in exploring different sour-styled cocktails, Twist & Toast has what you’re looking for. Your evenings will never be boring when you try out some of these mixed drinks below:
- New York Sour – Red wine and whiskey dance together in this Big Apple-inspired cocktail.
- Paloma Sour – The sweet, tart Paloma gets in on the sour action in this delicious and refreshing drink.
- Pisco Punch – I discover the joys of the Peruvian spirit with this sweet and sour concoction.
- Whiskey Sour – Get your evening started with this classic, classy, sour and frothy cocktail.
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