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

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

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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

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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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