The Pisco Punch

            Before coming on this Maymester I had never even heard of Pisco before. Little did I know what a big punch this little drink packed in the country of Peru. From coffee to ice cream to steak, I have witnessed Pisco incorporated into almost every type of food imaginable.  The most common, however, is the famous Pisco Sour for which Peru is known. Walking down the streets of Lima and Cuzco, almost every small café, restaurant, and bar claims that they have the best Pisco Sours in all of Peru. Despite these numerous claims, only one place was recommended not once, but twice to actually have the best drinks. The restaurant Brujas de Cachiche was not only recommended by Professor Heraldo but also by a vandy alumn we happened to cross paths with while on the way back from breakfast. Although we personally were never given the opportunity to try the Pisco sours from this particular restaurant to corroborate its greatness, we were given ample opportunities to try these drinks in almost every other eatery we went to.

What struck me most was how ingrained this drink is in Peruvian culture. It made me think to our own American culture and try and look for any other classic dishes or staple drinks we have. I contemplated it for a while, and although there are definitely American style dishes and restaurant genres such as diners and burgers, I couldn’t think of one particular food or drink that characterized all of the United States. However through discussing with other people we came to realize that each region of the United States did have its own staple food or drink group. Through analyzing the United States and Peruvian culture, it was interesting to see how ingrained culinary life is within all cultures and the history behind them.

Pisco is definitely one aspect of Peru that I will never forget, and hope to experience again in the future.