Leading Peruvian Pisco & Peruvian Government Name 10 U.S. Bartenders as Pisco Ambassadors in the “Become Shaman” La Diablada Pisco Bartender Invitational
The year 2013 marks the 400th anniversary of the first historical evidence of pisco production in Peru – making the country’s national spirit the oldest in the Americas. And the United States’ masters of bartending are embracing this historic distillation, creating unique Peruvian pisco cocktails at bars across the country. To celebrate this, the first and only vintage Pisco in America, La Diablada Pisco, and PromPeru today announce the top 10 bartenders in the U.S. whose work in sharing the magic and splendor of Peruvian pisco with America’s consumers earns them the title of Pisco Ambassadors for Peru. Demand for Peruvian pisco in the U.S. reflects this growing excitement: This year, exports of Peruvian pisco worldwide have grown by 25%, with the U.S. consuming 56% of the total exports, according to PromPeru’s Trade Offices in the United States.
As modern-day ambassadors for a spirit with ancient origins, these 10 master bartenders will travel to Peru, where they will showcase their passion for pisco by presenting a cocktail creation featuring one of the quintessential Peruvian pisco brands, the multi-award-winning La Diablada Pisco, combined with another venerable ingredient that originated in the Americas – quinoa – to a panel of Peru’s top culinary professionals; the best cocktail will be named the Official Pisco Quinoa Cocktail of 2013. The United Nations named 2013 “The International Year of Quinoa” in order to raise awareness of the nutritional, economic, environmental and cultural value of a grain that has been traditionally cultivated for thousands of years in the Andes.
The participating bartenders, each of whom will receive a custom-made bar chef jacket designating them as one of Peru’s Pisco Ambassadors in the U.S., are:
Edwin Cruz, The Spare Room at the Roosevelt Hotel, Los Angeles
Meaghan Dorman, Raines Law Room, New York City
John Hogan, Lincoln Restaurant and Teddy & the Bully Bar, Washington, D.C.
Charles Joly, The Aviary, Chicago
Jessica Maria, Hotsy Totsy, San Francisco
Kevin Martin, Eastern Standard, Boston
Nectaly Mendoza, Herbs & Rye, Las Vegas
Kirsten Moore, Bazaar at the SLS Hotel, Los Angeles
Leo Robitschek, Eleven Madison Park and The Nomad, New York City
Todd Thrasher, Restaurant Eve, PX Bar and TNT Bar, Alexandria, VA
The Pisco Ambassadors will journey to Peru beginning Saturday, August 31, to experience the country’s culinary and pisco heritage. They will visit the La Diablada distillery and learn the art of blending acholado pisco with La Diablada’s Master Distiller and Blender, Melanie Asher; take a historic Pisco Sour bar crawl; dine at the city’s top restaurants – many of which are named on San Pellegrino’s 50 Best Restaurants of the World and in Latin America; attend the opening of Mistura, South America’s largest food fair; and then take the ultimate spiritual journey – traveling to the magical city of Cuzco for their “Become Shaman” experience to learn from a real shaman in Machu Picchu.
“Pisco comes from Ica, the fertile land of grapes and witches, and Peru’s pisco culture is imbued with spirituality from the Spanish conquest mixed with the Jesuit tradition of winemaking and distillation, as well as native Incan rituals,” explains Asher, who incorporates this spiritual side of pisco when creating La Diablada by making shamanistic “offerings” to Pacha Mama (Mother Earth) in each distillation and celebrating the full moon during harvest season.
Distilled through a discontinuous copper pot still and rested for almost two years, the limited-production La Diablada is named for the legendary ceremonial dance between angels and demons fighting for perfect harmony. Crafted from a luxurious first grape pressing, La Diablada has an off-dry full-bodied palate with ripe melon, fruit punch and dried flower notes finishes with a slightly warming fade of peppercorns and apricot skin, which has earned it the highest award of Gold Medal from Concurso Nacional in Peru. To learn more about Macchu Pisco and La Diablada, go to www.macchupisco.com <http://www.macchupisco.com> .
