By
George Brozowski
You
know, I thought I had been around the block once or twice
and was fairly familiar with most forms of alcohol but I guess
you're never really too old to learn something new. When the
bottle of Pisco Porton arrived I could only
stand there and stare at the bottle in total amazement, WTF?
What in the world is Pisco Porton?
It
comes in a beautiful and very heavy bottle with a 3 dimensional
picture of a hacienda that remotely resembles the Alamo called
the Hacienda La Caravedo. Interestingly enough it also states
"established 1684" and whatever this stuff is, it's
imported from Peru. The back of the bottle gives the first
clue to the contents; "The authentic Peruvian Pisco".
OK, time to fire up the old computer and Google up "Pisco".
Pisco
is a strong, colorless grape brandy produced in Peru and Chile.
It was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as
a cheaper alternative to orujo, a brandy that was imported
from Spain. Pisco received its name from
(DUH) the town of Pisco. In the late 1550s, the Spanish began
to plant and harvest export quality grapes selected to produce
wine. Those grapes that did not measure up were discarded
or given to the farmers to do with as they pleased and they
pleased to use those grapes to distill a brandy-like liquor.
In
1641, wine imports from Peru into Spain were banned in order
to eliminate competition for any locally produced grape products.
Local production of both wine and Pisco continued for local
consumption and export to other colonies.
During
the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, drunken sailors really
took a liking to this stuff since they were the ones transporting
it everywhere and they exalted it for its strong taste and
ability to quickly lay waste to them. As trade from Peru to
the world grew, so did the popularity of Pisco,
until it almost equaled wine in quantity as an export. This
position was maintained by Pisco until the onset of rum, which
won over consumers with lower prices and a softer flavor.
Turns
out that Pisco was the original San Francisco treat during
the Gold Rush and into the late nineteenth century and into
the early twentieth century. Pisco was king in San Francisco's
watering holes back then because it was easier to ship Pisco
up the coast from Peru than to transport whiskey overland
from the East Coast. Newly rich gold prospectors, thirsty
sailors, and eventually all of San Francisco developed a robust
appetite for Pisco that lasted until the
supply was cut off by Prohibition in 1920.
Pisco
Punch was the most famous cocktail in San Francisco,
made at the Bank Exchange on Montgomery and Washington by
famous bar owner, Duncan Nicol. At 25 cents, the drink was
preposterously expensive yet incredibly popular.
A
true gentleman barkeeper, Nicol had a house rule that two
Pisco punches were enough for any patron of his bar.
If a customer wanted a third, he had to walk around the long
block and come back in to qualify as a new customer. When
John Mackay, perhaps the richest man in America at the time,
asked for a third, Nicol said no. Mackay grabbed his hat and
obediently walked around the block to have his third Pisco
Punch.
The
good folks who distill this hooch call it a flavorful spirit,
more flavorful than vodka and more subtle than tequila but
curiously never ever refer to it as brandy. Being a total
cognac freak I happen to know a bit about brandy so I guess
the proof will be in the tasting.
Upon
opening the bottle I am assailed by a grove of lemon trees
and the fresh dank earth underneath their branches sprouting
mushrooms early in the morning just after the fog has lifted.
If this is what Peru smells like I am on the next plane. This
ain't brandy in the traditional sense of the word it is Pisco
and now I am beginning to understand.
There's
a sweetness to it as well as a syrupy thickness that I find
very inviting. This is all backed up by the presence of alcohol
lurking in the shadows. Strange, because normally you would
get the alcohol up front yet here it waits until all the other
players have had their moment in the spotlight.
Straight
up, it is definitely full bodied in the mouth with hints of
licorice and....well dare I say fresh baked bread!?!?!? It
totally takes me back to of a very, very early Saturday morning
in Sonoma when me any best friend Mike where wandering the
byways looking for coffee when both of our noses simultaneously
picked up the undeniable smell of fresh baked bread and we
looked at each other and without saying a single word nodded
and pursued that aroma to its source. Much to my amazement,
it turned out to be my favorite bakery and the source of all
my leavened pleasures, the Artisan Bakery. It was a tiny place
with a small counter and a gigantic aroma. We procured two
large cups of coffee and two loaves of bread that just moments
ago emerged from the oven and were still seriously hot. We
sat there and savored that aroma like a grizzled pair of wine
connoisseurs opening a bottle of well rested Screaming Eagle
Cabernet Sauvignon. We managed to cajole a couple of plastic
knives and a stick of butter and proceeded to sit on their
front steps and mercilessly devoured both loaves of bread
without hesitation or remorse. That's what this Pisco
tastes like to me, yummy.
It
didn't stop there, after the initial taste I had to try the
Pisco Punch, the fabled San Francisco treat of old.
I roped my friend Pat into relinquishing part of her fridge
and we stewed pineapple parts in simple syrup for a few days
and then had fresh lemons on hand. It's really a simple recipe
and you know most of the really simple things I have tried
have been far better than the really complicated things I
have ended up hating. This stuff was downright awesome! It
is the best lemonade I have ever had in my life. It is the
best summer drink I have ever had and I certainly don't mean
to slight my old friend Gin and Tonic.
From
not knowing what in the hell this hooch was to embracing it
completely I am a total convert. At around $40.00 to $50.00
per bottle it's up there but it is definitely worth it. And
if you get a bottle for God's sake stir up a batch of Pisco
Punch because it will make your entire summer. It really
doesn't get much better than this.
For
more Rants & Raves click
here.
http://piscoporton.com/