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October 14, 2023 In PiscoLogía

Piscología’s Select Bottlings: Celebrating the Diversity of Pisco from Peru

At Pisco Logía, our journey into the world of pisco has always been about more than just crafting a fine spirit. It’s about preserving tradition, embracing authenticity, and supporting small-scale producers who share our values of quality and sustainability. In Peru, the birthplace of pisco, there are over 500 certified pisco producers, but many face challenges when it comes to exporting their products or even finding their place in a saturated local market. Per capita consumption of pisco in Peru is relatively low, making it essential to explore new avenues for showcasing the diversity of this remarkable spirit.

To address these challenges and shine a light on the incredible variety of flavors that Peruvian pisco has to offer, we are proud to introduce our latest endeavor: Pisco Logía “Select Bottlings.” These exceptional products are a testament to the craftsmanship of other grower-producers who share our commitment to quality and authenticity.

Our first “Select Bottlings” release takes us on a journey that’s close to home. We are delighted to introduce our neighbor and dear friend, Alfredo Paino, who resides in Azpitia. Alfredo primarily cultivates Italia grapes and transforms them into exquisite piscos.

Puro de Italia 2021 – The Yellow Label: This exceptional pisco showcases the true essence of Italia grapes, meticulously crafted by Alfredo Paino at his vineyard and bodega. It’s a pure expression of the Italian grape variety, capturing the very spirit of the terroir.

No. 1 – A Blend of 70% Italia and 30% Quebranta 2022 – The Green Label: This blend is a harmonious marriage of Italia and Quebranta grapes, resulting in a pisco that beautifully combines the elegance of Italia with the robust character of Quebranta.

No. 2 – A Blend of 70% Italia and 30% Mollar 2022 – The Green Label: In this blend, Alfredo showcases his skill by marrying the luscious flavors of Italia with the unique character of Mollar grapes, creating a truly distinctive pisco.

These Pisco Logía “Select Bottlings” are more than just exquisite spirits; they are a celebration of the rich diversity found in Peruvian pisco. Each bottle tells a unique story of craftsmanship, terroir, and dedication. By supporting these small-scale producers who share our values, we aim to preserve the traditions that make pisco from Peru so exceptional.

Stay tuned for more exciting releases as we continue to explore the vibrant world of pisco, one “Select Bottling” at a time.

July 8, 2023 In PiscoLogía

The Timeless Craftsmanship of Copper Alembic Stills: Elevating Pisco Production in Peru

When it comes to the art of distillation, the choice of still plays a pivotal role in shaping the quality and character of the final spirit. Among the various options available, copper alembic stills have long been hailed as the pinnacle of excellence. In this blog post, we will explore the superiority of copper alembic stills, particularly in the context of pisco production in Peru.

Copper has been revered by distillers for centuries, and for good reason. Its unique properties make it an ideal material for crafting alembic stills. The secret lies in copper’s remarkable ability to interact with the spirit during the distillation process. As the liquid vaporizes and rises through the still, it comes into contact with the copper surfaces. This interaction promotes chemical reactions and catalytic processes that enhance the aroma, flavor, and overall character of the distilled spirit.

To truly appreciate the significance of copper alembic stills, let’s turn our attention to the world of pisco production in Peru, where it is crafted with utmost precision. In Peru, the art of Pisco production intertwines tradition with modern techniques. At the heart of this harmonious blend is the copper alembic still, revered for its ability to extract and preserve the essence of the grapes. Through a delicate and artful distillation process, the stills transform the carefully selected grapes into a spirit that captures the very essence of the terroir, embodying the flavors and aromas of the region.

The Superiority of Copper Alembic Stills:

Thermal Conductivity: Copper boasts exceptional thermal conductivity, allowing for efficient heat distribution during distillation. This ensures a controlled and precise process, enabling the separation of impurities and the extraction of desired flavors.
Reactivity: Copper’s unique reactivity influences the chemical reactions that occur during distillation, removing unwanted compounds and producing a smoother, refined spirit. It acts as a catalyst, enhancing the formation of desirable aromas and flavors, while minimizing harsh elements.
Sulfur Removal: Copper has a natural affinity for sulfur compounds, which are common in grape-based spirits. These compounds can contribute to off-flavors. Copper alembic stills effectively bind with sulfur, reducing its presence in the final product and resulting in a purer and more delightful spirit.

Copper alembic stills reign supreme in the realm of distillation. Their unrivaled ability to enhance aromas, flavors, and purity is evident in the illustrious world of pisco production in Peru. So, the next time you savor a glass of pisco, take a moment to appreciate the mesmerizing artistry behind copper alembic stills, the custodians of perfection in distillation.

November 5, 2021 In PiscoLogía

PiscoLogía’s Puro Quebranta Wins Gold Medal at the Specialty Masters Competition

The caliber of the clear spirit was recognized at the Specialty Masters Competition; results will be published in the November edition of ‘The Spirits Business’

The world’s most highly regarded series of spirits blind-tasting competitions, Global Spirits Masters, awarded PiscoLogía’s Pisco Puro Quebranta a gold medal at their 2021 competition in England.

The gold medal comes less than a year after PiscoLogía’s Master Distiller and partner, Nati Gordillo, was designated Female Craft Distiller of the Year by Craft Spirits Berlin, Europe’s premier event for handcrafted spirits. “Every bottle of PiscoLogía is tangible evidence of Nati’s gift for distilling. We feel proud to take home a gold medal and humbled by such prestigious recognition of our Quebranta expression”, said Meg McFarland, founder of PiscoLogía.

The all-female team of pisco producers have worked to bring pisco from Peru to the international spotlight. In October of 2020, PiscoLogía launched the Pisco Certificate Course, a certification in pisco offered for free in English and Spanish. “With its single distillation methods, diversity of grapes used in production, differing terroirs and more, pisco is such a unique spirit. My goal is to create a category for pisco in the spirits industry. This gold medal is a sign that we are moving in the right direction; pisco’s quality and singularity have come to the international spotlight”, said Kami Kenna, director of marketing and partner of PiscoLogía.

For more information about PiscoLogía’s distribution or general information about the company, please visit: www.piscologia.com.

About PiscoLogía

PiscoLogía Quebranta, a single-variety Peruvian pisco, recently won a gold medal at the Women’s Wine and Spirits Awards in London.

PiscoLogía Acholado, a blend of Italia and Quebranta piscos, was awarded a gold medal at the SIP Awards in California.

PiscoLogía’s Master Distiller and partner, Nati Gordillo, was designated Female Craft Distiller of the Year by Craft Spirits Berlin, Europe’s premier event for handcrafted spirits

The Pisco Certificate Course launched by PiscoLogía offers fresh and engaging information about Peruvian pisco. Participants in the program will benefit from the interactive online training, which includes testing, forums, activities, and certification.

June 1, 2020 In PiscoLogía

Aquafaba Vegan Pisco Sour Recipe

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Aquafaba is the starchy liquid in a can of chickpeas. When whipped or shaken, it creates a foamy alternative for egg white in a pisco sour.

To make a vegan pisco sour, you will need the following ingredients:

2 oz. PiscoLogía Acholado
1 oz. aquafaba (the drained water from a can of unsalted garbanzo beans)
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar or ¾ oz. simple syrup

Place all ingredients in a shaker without ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Add ice and shake again. Strain into chilled glass. When foam rises, garnish with 3 drops of bitters.

Here are some tips for making a vegan pisco sour with aquafaba:

Chill your aquafaba before shaking and straining.
Before measuring your aquafaba, vigorously shake the unopened can of chickpeas. Next, strain the chickpeas, whisk the aquafaba and then measure. This will ensure the starches are evenly distributed throughout the liquid, allowing you to take full advantage of their whipping abilities.

November 16, 2019 In PiscoLogía

PiscoLogía Quebranta Wins Gold Medal at the Women’s Wine and Spirits Awards in London

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LIMA, Peru – Nov. 16, 2019 — PiscoLogía Quebranta, a single-variety Peruvian pisco made from Quebranta grapes, won a gold medal at the most important wine and spirits competition in the world judged by women buyers – the Women’s Wine and Spirits Awards. Held in London at the Royal Yacht Club, 100 of the world’s most influential female buyers assembled for the historic occasion. Top retailers, importers, and hospitality entities were present for the blind tastings, including Waitrose & Partners, Bibendum, Enotria & Co, 67 Pall Mall, and The Arts Club.

The award reflects the quality and craftsmanship of the pisco, which is made in Azpitia, in the Denomination of Origin of Lima. “We are honored to receive this gold medal and celebrate the work completed with my partners Nati Gordillo and Kami Kenna. It is a culmination of years of dedication to the art of pisco making” said Meg McFarland, founder of PiscoLogía.

PiscoLogía is available in the USA through Craft Distillers, in Canada through the Unknown Agency and in Japan through The Blue Habu Trade Group.

About Piscología Pisco Puro Quebranta

Made from 100% estate-grown grapes, PiscoLogía Quebranta is the quintessential craft pisco. Its aromas are grassy, herbal, and reminiscent of sweet caramelized banana. It tastes of toasted almonds, pecans and tart green apples.

About Topa Spirits, LLC

Topa Spirits, LLC is a 100% women-owned producer, importer and wholesaler of Piscología Pisco Quebranta and PiscoLogía Pisco Acholado.

Connect with PiscoLogía on Facebook, Twitter and www.piscologia.com for cocktail ideas, contests and breaking product news.

NOTES FOR NEWS EDITOR:

For further images, see link here: http://wineawards.org/medal-and-press-images/

Full results on https://wineawards.org/wwsa-2020-results/

May 4, 2019 In PiscoLogía

Toast to Peru’s national hero with a tasty Peruvian pisco cocktail!

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In Peru, it is difficult not to stumble upon something associated with José de San Martín. From streets to provinces to statues to schools, this man’s legacy is ubiquitous. Born in Argentina, José de San Martín was a military leader who fought to liberate Argentina, Chile and Peru. However, he was notable not only for his efforts to gain independence in South America. San Martín also fought to abolish slavery, advocated for indigenous people and enacted freedom of speech in Peru.

José de San Martín first liberated Argentina and Chile from royalist rule. He then traveled to Peru to do the same. His efforts were successful; Peru’s independence was declared on July 28^th, 1821. To this day, Peruvians celebrate Independence Day with copious amounts of pisco. Now they can add PiscoLogía’s San Martín cocktail to their repertoire.

Peru’s national hero died in France at the age of 72, shortly after hearing the news of Argentina’s victory against the Anglo-French blockade. To note this historical fact, Kami added a French twist to this cocktail with Chartreuse and Dubbonet.

Created by the master Kami Kenna, we present the San Martín cocktail to you:

San Martín, Protector of Peru

2 oz Pisco Acholado

1 oz Dubonnet

Bar Spoon of Yellow Chartreuse

Garnish with grapefruit peel

Shaken, served up

April 20, 2019 In PiscoLogía

Is pisco expensive? Ask the grapes!

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Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

What makes a bottle of liquor expensive? Where does Peruvian pisco fall on the pricing scale of spirits? Let’s discuss why Peruvian pisco is a premium spirit and how its price reflects the quality and care of what goes into every bottle.

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

The price of a bottle of liquor is influenced by its distillation methods, aging times, quality of ingredients, the labor involved in the production process and other factors. The higher the quality of ingredients or the more labor involved in making it, the more expensive it will be. For example, a meticulous distiller could use 17 pounds of potatoes to make one bottle of premium vodka. A cheaper brand might use significantly less potatoes, potatoes of lower quality or sloppy distillation methods. In other words, many factors influence price, but as a general rule, the more invested by the producers when crafting the product, the more it will cost at the liquor store.

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

Now, why is Peruvian pisco on the higher end of the scale in terms of price? The answer comes down to grapes; there are a lot of grapes in one bottle of pisco. On average, there are approximately 7.5 kilos (about 16.5 pounds) of grapes per bottle of pisco puro or pisco acholado. To make a mosto verde, you need an average about 15 kilos (33 pounds), double the amount of a regular bottle of pisco.

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

To explain this further, we made the chart below. You can see how Peruvian pisco compares to wine with regard to grapes per bottle. These are averages, as cluster size, grape size and grapevine yield vary widely between vineyards.

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

Per bottle of:	Weight of grapes	Clusters	Grapes	# of grapevines
Wine	1.5 kilos / 3.3 lbs	10	700	1
Acholado o puro	7.5 kilos / 16.5 lbs	50	3,500	almost 4
Mosto verde	15 kilos / 33 lbs	100	7,000	7.5

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

As evident in the chart, a bottle of regular pisco has more than 3,500 grapes in it, while a mosto verde requires roughly double that amount. That’s 7,000 grapes in one bottle of liquor!

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

In Azpitia, we get an average of 2 kilos of grapes per plant. This means that one bottle of pisco puro or pisco acholado uses the fruit from almost 4 entire grape vines. Mosto verde pisco uses all the fruit from 7.5 grape vines.

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

In addition to the sheer amount of fruit that goes into one bottle, one should also consider what’s required to produce healthy plants. Viticulture is arduous work. Grape vines must be carefully tended to for an entire year before the fruit can be picked. When you add in factors like hand-harvesting & hand-pruning, growing grapes can be even more expensive and time consuming.

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

We hope the next you sip a PiscoLogía cocktail, you will have a deeper understanding of what goes into every bottle. Besides thousands of grapes, there are many factors that make Peruvian pisco premium. The taste and quality of our final product reflect its price, a quintessential high-end spirit.

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

To make these estimations, we consulted the following source:

Piscologia is Peruvian Pisco

Gerling, Chris. “Conversion Factors: From Vineyard to Bottle.” Conversion Factors: From Vineyard to Bottle | Viticulture and Enology, 8 Dec. 2011, grapesandwine.cals.cornell.edu/newsletters/appellation-cornell/2011-newsletters/issue-8/conversion-factors-vineyard-bottle/.

April 16, 2019 In PiscoLogía

Understanding Peruvian Pisco Labels

If you have ever felt overwhelmed by the jargon on a Peruvian pisco label, you have come to the right place. In this blog post, we will explain the vocabulary used to differentiate between types of pisco, pisco grapes and production zones in Peru.

The Denomination of Origin in Peru requires that pisco labels list 3 key elements: the type of pisco, the grape varietal(s), and where the pisco was produced. Before showing examples, we will detail these 3 parts.

1) Type- There are 3 types of pisco:

Pisco puro– A single varietal pisco made from wine from one type of grape.

Pisco acholado– Made from more than one varietal. It can be a blend of grapes or a blend of piscos.

Pisco mosto verde– Pisco made from musts that aren’t fully fermented and sugar is still present in the juice. Mosto verde piscos tend to be more expensive because they use more grapes.

2) Varietal(s)- There are 8 grapes allowed in Peruvian pisco production:

Four aromatic grape varietals: Albilla, Italia, Moscatel & Torontel

Four non-aromatic grape varietals: Mollar, Negra Criolla, Quebranta & Uvina

Some producers may denote whether the grape used is aromatic or non-aromatic on their labels, although it isn’t required.

3) Production Location– There are 5 pisco-producing regions in Peru:

They are: Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna (only in the valleys of Locumba, Sama and Caplina). Some labels might have more specific information about the D.O., for example the name of the valley or town where it is produced. This can be seen in our labels below.

Now, let’s see how these terms are used on our acholado label:

This corresponds to the type(s) of grape used to make the pisco. Remember, “acholado” is a blend of grapes.
This tells where the pisco is made. We produce in the Denomination of Origin of Lima, but more specifically, in the town of Azpitia.
It is common to specify what grapes are used to make an acholado. To make our PiscoLogía acholado, we use a blend of Quebranta and Italia piscos.

How to read a single varietal pisco (pisco puro) label:

Again, this tells us the type(s) of grape used to make the pisco. The “quebranta” grape is used to make our pisco puro, which means it is made from only one pisco grape varietal. Many producers will provide more information about that single varietal. For example, the back of our label states: “A single variety pisco distilled from quebranta, a low aromatic red wine”.

We hope we have demystified some of the difficult vocabulary used to label Peruvian pisco bottles. Knowing these terms will give you the knowledge you need to make smart purchase the next time you are looking for PiscoLogía or another high-quality Peruvian pisco. The next step is mixing your cocktails. Don’t miss the recipe page on our website: https://piscologia.com/drink-recipes/. ¡Salud!