The clear brandy known as pisco is enjoying something of a renaissance in the booming Peruvian economy—there are even two Peruvian national holidays celebrating the spirit.
Legend has it that the Pisco Sour was invented at Lima’s Hotel Maury in the 1930’s when an ex pat named Victor Morris ordered a whiskey sour only to find out that the bar was out of whiskey. Pisco was substituted, or so the story goes, and eggs whites were added later as the drink recipe evolved. The tale has its skeptics, but bartenders in Lima seem to be sticking to the story.