Lavender Lemon Pisco Sour Cocktail

Create a unique lavender twist on the classic Peruvian Pisco Sour cocktail

Lavender lemon pisco sour cocktail is the perfect creative drink for happy hour. This easy recipe incorporates homemade lavender simple syrup, fresh lemon juice, and pisco from Peru. And of course, we'll walk through how to get the classic egg white foam top that's traditional on pisco sours. Pisco, a South American type of brandy, has a sweet, grape-like flavor that you're going to love!

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I've had the itch lately to dive deeper into the world of cocktails, and boy has it been fun! I've made many trips to Total Wine and bought way too many mini bottles of liquor to taste test, to say the least. One of my recent favorites has been cocktails with egg whites!

This cocktail is a twist on the classic Peruvian pisco sour using homemade lavender simple syrup and freshly squeezed lemon. Don't worry, I'm doing to give you the low-down on all the important pieces of making this classic Latin American cocktail, as well as tips for making your own egg white cocktails.

What is Pisco?

If you're a lover of cocktails and haven't heard of pisco, you're missing out! Many pisco distillers brag about the quality and purity of the spirit. And honestly, pisco is unlike many other mainstream spirits we're used to drinking. It has a very strong smell, yet tastes smooth with a sweet grape flavor.

Pisco is a type of clear brandy made from grapes. Now anytime you talk about liquor, what defines a spirit being classified as the label on the bottle all comes down to the regulations the distiller must follow during the creation process. Here are the main regulations for Peruvian pisco:

• Must be made from one of eight types of grapes: Quebranta, Negra Criolla, Uvina and Mollar, Moscatel, Torontel, Italia and Albilla
  
• Must be made in the Peruvian cities of either Ica, Lima, Arequipa, Moquegua, or Tacna
  
• Single distilled between 38 - 48 ABV (yes, this means pisco is a strong liquor)
  
• Cannot be aged in a wood barrel
  
• Must rest for a minimum of three months in a nonreactive container like stainless steel, glass, or clay pitcher
  
  

The Difference Between Peruvian & Chilean Pisco

While this post focuses on Peruvian pisco, I also wanted to point out that Chile also has it's own version of pisco. As you may guess, there are different regulations for Chilean pisco. Here are a few examples:

• Does not need to be distilled to proof
  
• Can be distilled multiple times
  
• Can be aged in wood barrel
  
• Made with a range of 14 different grapes
  
• Pisco is graded by its proof
  
  

Be sure to check the bottle of liquor to determine the country of origin.

Purchasing Peruvian Pisco

Most mainstream liquor stores should have a few varieties of pisco. You'll need to look in the 'brandy' section of the store. Some popular brands include:

• Macchu Pisco (purchase via Drizly so it's delivered in under 60 minutes)
  
• Pisco Portón (purchase via Drizly so it's delivered in under 60 minutes)
  
• Barsol Pisco
  
• Pisco 1615 (purchase via Drizly so it's delivered in under 60 minutes)
  
  

Ingredients in a Traditional Pisco Sour

Classic Peruvian pisco sours actually require very little ingredients. It's really the pisco that shines through on this cocktail. Most Peruvian pisco sours consist of:

• Pisco
  
• Lime juice
  
• Simple syrup
  
• Egg whites
  
  

In our cocktail today, we're swapping lime juice for lemon juice, and traditional simple syrup for a lavender-infused simple syrup.

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How Do You Prepare an Egg White Cocktail?

There are many popular cocktails with egg whites in the recipe, including whiskey/tequila/vodka sour, clover club, and amaretto sour. The key to a good egg white cocktail is the frothy foam on the top of the drink. Here's how to achieve that!

We're going to use a method called dry shake. What that means is first shaking the cocktail ingredients (and egg whites) without ice to allow the foam to begin forming. Then, shake the cocktail again, but this time with ice. The second shake with ice gets the drink cold and strengthens the foam.

Of course, if you don't feel comfortable eating raw eggs, you can always omit the egg whites in this cocktail.

Tools to Make Egg White Cocktails

There are very few tools required to make egg white cocktails. Really all you need is:

• A cocktail shaker: I prefer a Boston shaker when it comes to making cocktails. It's nice and easy to remove the lid since this cocktail requires a double shake.
  
• A hawthorne strainer: A strainer is a necessary tool for this cocktail because pisco sours are served straight up (without ice).
  
• Some ice: This will be used for chilling the cocktail. Make sure to do a dry shake (no ice) first. Then, add the ice, shake until cold, and serve straight up.
  

How Do You Serve & Garnish a Pisco Sour?

I'm not sure that there is a right or wrong glass to serve your pisco sour in. I've seen everything from coup glasses, to lowball glasses and beyond. So pick whatever glass suits your fancy!

As for traditional Peruvian pisco sours, they are served straight up (no ice) with a dash of bitters that is usually added on top of the egg whites for garnish. I opted to skip the bitters for this unique pisco sour twist but feel free to add as desired.

For a pretty touch, add a thin slice of lemon and a fresh lavender flower on top of the egg whites. I like to purchase my edible, food-safe flowers from Gourmet Sweet Botanicals. Not only are their flowers amazing, but they last around 7 – 10 days depending on the variety.

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