May 15: Pisco Day: How was Chile’s favorite distillate born?

The anniversary was born after a decree was issued on May 15, 1931, specifying the geographical limit to produce pisco between the Atacama and Coquimbo regions. Currently, according to the Pisco Producers Association, Chile consumes 2.1 liters per capita per year and produces about 36 million liters per year, which positions the country as the largest producer and consumer in the world.

Although it is clear that this distillate is a must, since it is the base of drinks such as piscola, pisco sour and mango sour, there are many people who do not know its origin.

At the time of colonization, the Spanish brought different animals and plants to Chile to have a diet similar to what they were used to. By planting the vine, in 1549, in La Serena, a quality product was obtained, but the only problem is that it was extremely sweet and deteriorated quickly, so it was not useful for making wine. To ensure proper preservation, the alcohol was extracted from the wine. The altitude of the territory caused the boiling to be faster, so it began to be produced in large quantities. Some time later, in 1733, the decision was made to use the word “pisco” for the first time to refer to the brandy obtained from the process.