One of the fabulous cocktails we learned about through Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana’s Mixology Masterclass is the pisco sour, a classic Peruvian cocktail. Our Wednesday Night Cocktail Club had a great time at COYA here in Doha with a private masterclass that taught us how to make their own special version of the pisco sour. Frothy and refreshing, with a perfect balance of tart and sweet, the pisco sour is worth a taste!
COYA’s cigar bar private room, set up for our pisco sour masterclass in September 2021
Inspired by COYA and also La Mar, both fantastic Peruvian restaurants, Nick and I set out to upscale the pisco sour by adding some aged rum and a homemade version of the Peruvian fermented purple corn beverage called chicha morada. As authentic chicha morada is sadly not something we can find at the stores here in Doha, we took inspiration from Lynette Marrero’s Masterclass suggestion of how to infuse a homemade version of chicha morada (from her Llama Del Ray Punch recipe). Our “cheeky” syrup takes Lynette’s recommendation of fresh pomegranate juice, pink peppercorns, hibiscus tea leaves, orange peels, and demerara sugar, and adds whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, and fresh pineapple skin to further capture the complexity of chicha morada.
We also balanced the tartness and sweetness of this drink by relying only on lime juice, rather than a combination of lime and lemon (which you would find in a traditional pisco sour). A Luxardo maraschino cherry and an (optional) purple corn puff complement the garnish of Angostura bitters. Enjoy!
Recipe: Cheeky Sour
Ingredients for the “cheeky” syrup:
4 oz fresh pomegranate juice
2 oz demerara sugar
1 ½ t pink peppercorn
1 T dried hibiscus tea (we used “Red Zinger” blend)
Peels of 1 orange
¼ t whole cloves (~5-6 cloves)
1 cinnamon stick (~7 grams)
1 slice of fresh pineapple skin, cut into diagonal pieces
Method: Dissolve pomegranate juice and demerara sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and ddd the pink peppercorn, dried hibiscus tea, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, pineapple skin, and orange peels (after you’ve expressed the oil from the zests into the pan). Let sit for at least 20 minutes. Once the liquid is cool, strain the liquid twice with a fine-mesh strainer and store the cheeky syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Ingredients for the cocktail:
1.25 oz Pisco
.75 oz aged rum (we recommend Zacapa 23)
1 oz fresh lime juice
.75 oz cheeky syrup
1 egg white
Angostura bitters, Luxardo maraschino cherry, purple corn puff (optional) for garnish
Method: Combine all ingredients except for bitters and other garnishes in a shaker. Don’t add ice yet! Use a small whisk to aerate and combine the egg white with the other ingredients (this is a “dry shake”). Add 2 to 3 large ice cubes to the shaker, then lock the shaker. Shake with a circular rocking motion. Using a Hawthorne strainer and a fine-mesh strainer, pour the contents into an old-fashioned glass. Be sure to pour out all the egg white foam! Garnish with a couple dashes of Angostura bitters and top with a Luxardo maraschino cherry and a purple corn puff (optional). Cheers!