Pisco Punch
A floral, tropical drink of pisco, pineapple and fresh lime: old San Francisco's gold-rush-era secret.
Ingredients
- Pisco60 ml
- Lime juice, freshly squeezed15 ml
- Pineapple juice, freshly pressed22.5 ml
- Rich simple syrup, pineapple-infused, in the style of gum syrup (2 parts Sugar, 1 part Water)30 ml
- Aromatic bitters (Angostura)e.g. Angostura1 dash
- Orange, to garnish (optional)1 twist
Method
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice cubes and add the pisco, pineapple syrup, pineapple juice, lime juice and bitters.
- Shake hard for 10–15 seconds, until bitingly cold and well diluted.
- Double strain into a chilled coupe.
- Garnish with an orange twist and serve straight away.
Duncan Nicol, Bank Exchange Saloon, San Francisco
About this drink
Pisco Punch made its name in 19th-century San Francisco at the Bank Exchange Saloon, where Duncan Nicol's secret recipe turned it into the city's most talked-about drink. The exact formula died with him, but modern recreations circle the same idea: the floral lift of pisco met by pineapple, citrus and a rich, sweet syrup. Sailors, prospectors and the city's high society alike apparently could not resist it.
