Pisco, pisco and more pisco

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The land of the poetess Gabriela Mistral, papayas, pisco and the world of astronomical observatories, what more could one ask of the Elqui valley. An area of fertile valleys and pleasant, yet overwhelming sunshine, it has become most famous as it is the birth place of the first South American woman to win the Nobel Prize. It does however boast a vast history of Chile’s pisco production.

Pisco is a liquor distilled from grapes (a brandy) made in wine-producing regions of Peru and Chile, and it is the national liquor of both countries. Actually the two countries have an ongoing dispute as to who first started to produce the liquor and has the right to declare themselves the founders. It has even gone so far as to becoming a legal dispute as to who has the right to produce this brandy. Both the countries national drink is Pisco Sour; sugar, egg white, lemon juice and pisco shaken together. When made with the right proportions its delicious. The fact of the matter is however that Chile produces five times as much Pisco as Peru and is the main export distributor of pisco.

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During our visit to the valley of Pisco we had the opportunity to visit a few distilleries and several picturesque towns along the way. It reminded me of the wine country in Northern California, especially since all in all it was more a day of leisure and relaxation than anything else. It was nice to have seen the valley, but what was most special was that we had rented our own car and were no longer slaves to public transportation.