Pisco Punch

Name: Pisco Punch
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 12 drinks
Ingredients: 1 (750-milliliter) bottle pisco; 10 ounces pineapple gum syrup; 9 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 7 medium lemons); Ice, for serving; 12 small fresh pineapple wedges, for garnish

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12 drinks Easy

(1) Total: 10 mins, plus 3 hrs chilling time Active: 10 mins

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Ingredients (5)

1 (750-milliliter) bottle pisco
10 ounces pineapple gum syrup
9 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 7 medium lemons)
Ice, for serving
12 small fresh pineapple wedges, for garnish

Nutritional Information

Calories88
Fat0.07g
Saturated fat0.01g
Trans fat
Carbs17.31g
Fiber0.06g
Sugar14.82g
Protein0.08g
Cholesterol
Sodium3.14mg
Nutritional Analysis per serving (12 servings) Powered by

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Knocking back a glass of Pisco Punch is a boozy part of San Francisco’s history. This potent cocktail traces back to the 1890s, when a bartender named Duncan Nicol invented it in SF. This recipe, adapted from San Francisco bartender and Small Hand Foods proprietor Jennifer Colliau, is an easy three-ingredient drink to mix: Simply shake pisco, lemon juice, and pineapple gum syrup together and serve with a pineapple wedge if you’re feeling fancy. The pineapple gum syrup, made by steeping fruit in a sugar-water syrup thickened with gum arabic, softens the boozy pisco kick for a smoother drinking experience, plus gives the cocktail a little extra body.

What to buy: You can purchase pineapple gum syrup at well-stocked liquor stores or online. Colliau’s Small Hand Foods brand is excellent.

Pisco is a brandy distilled from South American white Muscat grapes. It can be found at well-stocked liquor stores or online.

This recipe was featured as part of our Drinks from San Francisco’s Sleazy Past.

Adapted from Jennifer Colliau

Instructions

1Combine the pisco, pineapple gum syrup, and lemon juice in a 2-quart container. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.
2Before serving, stir to recombine the mixture. Serve over ice and garnish with a pineapple wedge.

Photo by Katerina Beduh/Shutterstock.

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