Pisco may be the oldest distilled spirit in the Americas, but it wasn’t until 1920 that the National Drink of Peru, the Pisco Sour, was born in Lima by mixing two parts Pisco, one part simple syrup, one part lime juice, and egg whites, shaken with ice, and served strained with drops of Angostura bitters.

Today, Pisco is in the midst of a renaissance due to its versatility as a brandy born from a royal ban with a terroir that is as unique as the land where it came from.

Nico Vera is a Peruvian chef and Pisco mixologist based in San Francisco, California, where he promotes Peruvian food and culture through pop-up dinners and cocktail classes. You can find his recipes and calendar of events on his blog, Pisco Trail.