If becoming a connoisseur depends solely on quantity consumed, then we are well on our way to becoming connoisseurs of Pisco Sours. I am sure, however, that other more qualified people have views on whether Peruvian or Chilean Pisco Sours are better, what Pisco should be used and on the finer points of mixing. All we can do is pick our favourite from the many that we tried.
A google or guidebook search for the best Pisco Sour in Lima directs you to El Bolivarcito - catedral de Pisco, a bar on the ground floor of Hotel Bolivar looking out onto central Lima's main square.The bar is a fairly unassuming place packed out by business lunches on weekdays, with a summary of the history of Peruvian Pisco on one wall. It has a long menu of Pisco Sours to choose from, each mixed with a different Pisco. We chose Classico first. They came in glasses a bit like old-fashioned glasses but with a short stem. It was delicious, and exactly what you'd expect from a well made Peruvian Pisco Sour, ie: smooth, uniform, no egg white globules floating in the glass and a few millimetres of froth that remains on the top as you drink it.
Next we tried the Catedral, which is the bar's signature Pisco Sour. These came in Hurricane glasses and were made using a better quality Pisco and their classic recipe. It was also delicious; fresh, smooth and beautiful to look at. We could tell that it was superior to others we had tried, although we couldn't say exactly why, and it honestly wasn't just that it was twice the volume of a standard Pisco Sour. Promise.
We obviously need to sample more before we can detect all the subtleties of this drink. Oh well. Never mind.
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