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Chilcano de pisco
Pisco and ginger ale highball
Chilcano de pisco: pisco, lime and ginger ale poured over ice in a tall glass, Lima's long summer highball
When Lima's grey winter finally lifts and summer reaches the beaches south of the city, the chilcano takes over from the pisco sour: lighter, longer and made for an afternoon. Peru even gives it a Semana del Chilcano each January, and it is poured at weekend lunches with chifa or fried fish. This is a highball for adults only: pisco poured over a tall glass of ice with fresh lime and ginger ale, finished with a few drops of bitters. It should taste crisp and fizzy, with the ginger and lime lifting the floral grape notes of the pisco rather than hiding them. The common mistake is using too little ice and warm ginger ale, which gives a sweet, diluted drink that goes flat in minutes. Fill the glass to the top with ice and keep the ginger ale in the fridge until the last second. It is ready when the glass is frosty, the bubbles race up the sides and the bitters drift through the top as a pink haze. Light it may be, but drink responsibly. Chef's tip: try a fruit-infused pisco, made by steeping passion fruit or mandarin peel in the bottle for a few days; Limeños love a chilcano de maracuyá.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 1
Ingredients
For the chilcano
- 10 ice cubes
- 3 ½ tbsp piscoquebranta or aromatic italia
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juicefreshly squeezed
- ¾ cup ginger alewell chilled
- 3 drops aromatic bitters
To serve
- 1 lime wheel (optional)
For the alcohol-free version
- 1 oz fresh ginger (optional)peeled and finely grated
- 2 tbsp white sugar (optional)
- 2 ½ tbsp hot water (optional)
- 1 ½ tbsp lime juice (optional)
- 10 ice cubes (optional)
- ¾ cup soda water (optional)chilled; or simply use ginger ale and skip the syrup
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Fill a tall glass to the brim with 10 ice cubes. Pour in 3 ½ tbsp pisco and 1 ½ tbsp lime juice.
1 minStep 2: Top slowly with ¾ cup ginger ale, pouring down the side of the glass, then lift once with a long spoon.
1 minStep 3: Shake 3 drops aromatic bitters in 3 drops over the top, slip in 1 lime wheel and serve at once while it is still fizzing hard.
1 minStep 4: Alcohol-free version: stir 1 oz fresh ginger and 2 tbsp white sugar into 2 ½ tbsp hot water until the sugar dissolves and leave to steep until it tastes hot and peppery, then strain through a fine sieve, pressing the ginger.
5 minStep 5: Alcohol-free version: fill a tall glass with 10 ice cubes, add the ginger syrup and 1 ½ tbsp lime juice, then top gently with ¾ cup soda water and lift once.
1 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chilcano de pisco take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 1 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of lime juice?
- Lemon juice, same amount.
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