Macchu Pisco Sours Competition, Los Angeles by Jessica Borges

[dcs_clearboth h="5"]
[dcs_darkspliter size="large"]
[dcs_emptyspace h="5"]

We, as human beings are always looking for reasons to throw a party. The 4^th of July has come and gone and Bastille Day is right around the corner but what else can we use for an excuse to celebrate in between those painfully long two weeks?

Fortunately, Macchu Pisco has come to the rescue. In celebration of the 100^th anniversary of the encounter of famed Peruvian monument Machu Picchu to the Western World, this pisco brand hosted a Macchu Pisco Sour competition spanning the United States. In search of the ultimate liquid incarnation of Machu Picchu to honor the history and reverence of this 7^th New Wonder of the World, Macchu Pisco challenged bartenders to create the ultimate representative cocktail. Competitions were held in D.C., Boston, New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, culminating in Las Vegas on July 7, 2011.

Last week’s Los Angeles competition was held in the Beverly Hills SLS Hotel, hosting twelve LA bartenders, a judges’ panel and a small public audience. Challenged to whip up unique versions of the Pisco Sour using Macchu Pisco, the bartenders were asked to consider not only taste and appearance of the cocktails, but also historical relevance and representation of this Peruvian monument and milestone. After all, a free trip to Lima, Peru to compete against winners in the other cities for the grand pisco sours competition was on the line.

In less than seven minutes, each bartender shook, stirred and poured their Machu Picchu-inspired cocktails before the panel of judges, wowing them with creativity and their knowledge of the brand and Peruvian heritage. Connor O’Brian (of The Bazaar by Jose Andres) created a cocktail (Humaq Pacha) that caught the audience’s attention with billowing smoke pouring over the bar from liquid nitrogen, which he created to represent the fog rolling down the mountain at Machu Picchu. Luke Ford’s (of Seven Grand) Pisco de Porto Pizarro was named so to honor Lima’s founder, Francisco Pizarro. Ford explained that his inspiration came from the history of the grapes: they were brought to South America by Spanish explorers until the king banned the creation of wine, which in turn ultimately led to the creation of pisco, made from the distilled grapes.

Check out all the action in this Macchu Pisco Sour Competition video

Each bartender employed his or her own interpretation of Machu Picchu’s history and what it means to be celebrating the 100^th anniversary of reintroduction to the Western World. Macchu Pisco LLC and the Consulate of Peru in San Francisco presented awards to some of the best concoctions, including the grand prize winner. See the list of names and awards below. Congrats to all participants and winners for a successful celebration of this Peruvian milestone.

[dcs_emptyspace h="5"]
[dcs_darkspliter size="large"]
[dcs_rounded_box]
[dcs_emptyspace h="5"]

And the Winners Are:

[dcs_ul_star left="20" var="1"]

• Bartender’s Choice: Edwin Cruz – Tlapazola Grill (West LA)

• Best Presentation: Connor O’Brian – The Bazaar by Jose Andres (SLS Hotels)

• Best Taste: Luke Ford – Seven Grand

• Best Creativity/Relevance: Crystal Skinner – Culina

• Grand Prize Winner: Zach Patterson – STK/Black Market Liquor Bar

[/dcs_ul_star]
[/dcs_rounded_box]
[dcs_emptyspace h="5"]
[dcs_rounded_box]

Winning Ingredients:

[dcs_ul_star left="20" var="1"]

• Macchu Pisco

• Homemade Chicha Morada

• Brown Sugar

• Lemon Juice

• Lime Juice

• Egg White

• Angostura Bitters

• Gold Flakes

• Powdered Sugar (for foam)

[/dcs_ul_star]
[/dcs_rounded_box]
[dcs_emptyspace h="5"]
[dcs_top color="#FFC919" bwidth="2"]