How to make El Capitán, a Pisco Cocktail recipe that’s a riff on a classic.
Unlike the Pisco Sour, the Chilcano and the Pisco Punch, when it comes to Pisco cocktails, the majority are either shaken or built. El Capitán, a take on the classic Manhattan, is a stirred 3 ingredient cocktail using Pisco, sweet vermouth and bitters.
El Capitán is said to date back to the 1920s when the army captains in the Puno highlands of Peru ordered a drink that’s a mix of two grape-based spirits: Pisco and sweet vermouth. The drink has since evolved with variations on the ratio including the Reverse Capitan which swaps the ratios of sweet vermouth and Pisco.
Peruvian Pisco can be made from eight types of grapes and in our interview with Otis Florence (Attaboy NYC), he recommends using Moscatel, an aromatic Pisco grape varietal when mixing El Capitán.
El Capitán Cocktail Recipe
Ingredients
- 60 ml Pisco (Moscatel varietal)
- 30 ml sweet vermouth
- 2 dashes of Angostura bitters
Glassware: coupette
Garnish: lemon peel or Maraschino cherry
Method
In a mixing glass, stir all ingredients with ice until cold. Strain into a chilled coupette and garnish with lemon peel or Maraschino cherry.
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