Sure, Super Bowl XLVI is the highly anticipated national event this weekend, but why not get the party started on Saturday by celebrating National Pisco Sour Day? A celebration of Pisco — Peru’s native spirit — this “holiday” on the first Saturday of February is celebrated in Peru and around the globe.
Pisco has been around for so long that even our distant ancestors may have enjoyed it after a hard day on the farm. It's a type of brandy distilled from grapes, and is considered the “fifth white spirit.” It dates back as far as 16th-century Peru, and is named after the Peruvian port from which the spirit was first exported. The word pisco translates to “little bird” in the Quechua Indians’ native tongue.
This article appears in Jan 26 – Feb 1, 2012.