Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/133302
"As producers, we don't just sell a brand of pisco, we sell Peru in a glass." —Diego Loret de Mola D iego Loret de Mola is a man on a mission. A crusade if you will. His message is very personal: to help promote the category of pisco, the national spirit of his homeland, Peru, and its neighbor, Chile. It might seem pretty simple really, but it certainly hasn't been easy. It never is when peddling a spirit still as niche as pisco, which is still rarely understood by most consumers and indeed many bartenders yet its popularity is most certainly growing. If it weren't for the classic Pisco Sour cocktail in fact, Diego's efforts might be considered futile. Just as the Margarita and the Caipirinha brought tequila and cachaça, respectively, out of the shadows, this venerable national cocktail has helped many appreciate just how amazing pisco can be as a cocktail base. "The current pisco renaissance just started within the last decade as a result of the cocktail renaissance in America and around the world," says Loret de Mola. "And certainly today, the Pisco Sour is one of the most renowned cocktails around the world as a result of the many visitors that have come to Peru and have been served the Pisco Sour as a national symbol—the country's flagship welcome cocktail. Today, it is still the most popular cocktail in Peru and one of the world's most relevant classic cocktails." Over the past six years, when he launched his own brand, BarSol, the industry has changed a lot, with many of the country's top mixologists continually looking to use spirits that only a few short years ago would have been considered "exotic": eau de vies, applejack, cachaça, mezcal, rhum agricole, genever, sotol and of course pisco. Loret de Mola understands, too, that it is the bartenders who have been helping him generate interest in the category, especially by mixing pisco in new and unusual ways. "Bartenders are the gatekeepers of all spirit categories, so it is important that bartenders make the right cocktail and speak knowledgeably about the pisco category and each brand," he says. "That is why it is extremely important to provide them with as much education and exposure to the pisco category as well as our vast Peruvian culture. As producers, we don't just sell a brand of pisco, we sell Peru in a glass. Pisco has a long history and carries a vast legacy that needs to be shared as the category grows." BarSol is imported by Anchor Distilling Company. TASTING NOTES BarSol Quebranta ($32) Hardy, structured and elegant with subtle sweet notes of hay, banana, caramel, fresh cream, baker's pastry and apricot blossom. There are also hints of plum, toasted almonds, pecans and dark raisins. BarSol Italia ($40) Extraordinarily aromatic with hints of honey suckle, hibiscus, rose petals and tropical fruits such as mango and ripe pineapple as well as peach blossom and melon. On the palate, these notes are intensified with citrus hints and ripe golden raisins, culminating in a well-structured and elegant finish. The Hibiscus Pisco Sour by Naren Young of Saxon & Parole, NYC ◗ 2 oz. BarSol Quebranta ◗ ¾ oz. lime ◗ ¾ oz. hibiscus/rose syrup ◗ 1 egg white ◗ Dry shake, add ice and shake again. Strain into a coupe glass. Naren Young creates the Hibiscus Pisco Sour cocktail with BarSol. june 2013 / the tasting panel / 101 TP0613_080-119.indd 101 5/23/13 5:30 PM