The lesser-known of pisco’s two most famous drinks – nowadays at least – was once a veritable sensation.
The version popularised by Duncan Nicol while he was in charge of San Francisco’s Bank Exchange Saloon, from the end of the 1800s until 1919, was described by drinkers in glowing terms.
Rudyard Kipling, writing about a Button Punch thought to be the same or similar drink, waxed lyrical about “shavings of cherubs’ wings, the glory of a tropical dawn” and so on.
Nicol kept his recipe secret, inspiring all manner of cocktail detective work. Most concluded he marinated pineapple in sugar and pisco, combining this with pisco, lime syrup, gum syrup and water.
The result is undoubtedly excellent, but maybe not quite enough to justify those lofty reviews. Some speculate one of Nicol’s secret ingredients may have been a syrup or tonic containing coca leaves, which makes more sense.
There are few Pisco Punches on cocktail lists nowadays – not nearly enough, at least. London Peruvian restaurant Coya serves one, opting for fresh pineapple juice and adding some orange juice.
“What makes the Pisco Punch great is its deceptive simplicity,” says Coya City bar manager Federico Caputo. “It’s bright and aromatic, while carrying the depth and structure of a serious cocktail, and pisco has a beautiful aromatic profile that works perfectly with tropical fruit.”
Pisco Punch
(Coya, London)
Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Dried pineapple and dried lime
Method: Shake and strain over ice.
50ml Pisco Mosto Verde Italia
25ml fresh pineapple juice
25ml fresh lime juice
25ml fresh orange juice
20ml sugar syrup