Pisco, seductive aroma and enchanting flavor

Pisco's fragrance is Peru’s perfume, and the flavor of each sip is its pride.

The emblematic drink traces its origins to the province that bears the same name, where the eight types of “pisco grapes” are harvested, each with its own distinctive fragrance.

The pisco-making process hearkens back to the traditions of the first makers of this brandy back in the late 16th century.

The sole ingredient is fresh grape must, which keeps this spirit as pure as possible.

These characteristics make pisco an emblematic product and a source of national pride: Peru’s gift to the world.

A tradition is born

The province of Pisco lies on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, 143 miles south of Peru’s capital. It was here that the first grapevines were planted more than 450 years ago, their roots sinking deep into the fertile soils of the new continent. Illustrating its ancestral heritage, the city owes its name to the pre-Columbian civilization that settled in the same valley a millennium before and used the word pisku to describe the birds nesting along the canyon walls. Over the centuries, that word– which morphed into the name Pisco– became attached to the city, the river, the port and the province.

Though no one knows exactly when the name pisco was first applied to the distillate, documents from the end of the 16th century describing the first vintages already use this term. This type of brandy is also produced in the valleys of Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna.

The versatility of pisco’s eight strains

Pisco's variety is another of its tantalizing traits. The flavor and aroma of eight distinctive types of grapes delight the palate. The Peruvian spirit can fall into one of three categories: Puro, Acholado and Mosto Verde.