Pisco Sour Food and Culture - Global Sales Mentor | Zach Selch

7 Apr 2020 · 3 min

Watch on YouTube

2:39

In this on‑location YouTube segment filmed at the historic Cathedral Bar in Lima’s Old City, Zach Selch and two local narrators introduce viewers to the Pisco Sour – the iconic cocktail claimed by both Peru and Chile. Speaker A describes the bar as the birthplace of the drink, noting its modest, locals‑only atmosphere despite its tourist‑magnet potential. Zach explains the cocktail’s composition – pisco (a grape‑based brandy), lemon juice, egg yolk, sweetener, and a dash of bitters – likening it to a whiskey sour. Speaker C adds historical context, explaining how the region’s low‑quality wine led to brandy production, which was then mixed with citrus and sugar to create a “medicinal” drink, similar to Cuba’s daiquiri. The segment contrasts Peruvian and Chilean drinking customs: Peruvians often sip a Pisco Sour during meals, while Chileans tend to enjoy it before meals followed by wine. The video concludes with a promotional call‑to‑action encouraging viewers to contact Selch’s Global Sales Mentor service to grow international sales.

Chapters

Hi. Hi. I'm in the Cathedral Bar in Lima, Peru, and this is really the cathedral of Pisco Sours. This is where they invented them, and this is the best place in the world to try a Pisco Sour. The cathedral, if it were anywhere else in the world, would be packed with tourists. It's essentially the bar where they invented a drink. But in in Lima, it's an old man's dive bar. Typically, when I go there, I'm the only foreigner. It's full of men who are Peruvian who have drunk their afternoons.
This is a pisco sour. Pisco is a type of brandy. Both Chileans and Peruvians claim it as their own, and it's essentially just like a whiskey sour. Lemon juice, egg yolk, sweetener, little drop of bitters on top. You can see that little red dot. And, um, Peruvians and Chileans drink an awful lot of this.
The cathedral Is right outside of Plaza San Martín, which is in downtown Old City Lima. So if you're walking around, you want to see the Old City, it's a great opportunity to pop in and have a pisco sour. Both Peru and Chile grow grapes, but the quality of the wine isn't that great, so they found they could make brandy out of it, and the brandy was pretty good. And by mixing it with lemon and sugar, you had an almost medicinal drink. It's not unlike the concept behind making a daiquiri in Cuba, for instance, where you're mixing alcohol and lemon juice and sugar. Now, in Peru and Chile, people will very often have one of these before a meal. And in Peru, it's really common to drink them during your meal. In Chile, it's a little bit more common to have one before your meal and then a glass of red wine or a glass of wine with your meal. They are by far the most common drink that you're going to find in Chile and Peru. Remember, when you're ready to grow your international sales, reach out to us.
When you decide it's time to grow your international sales, call us.