Pisco is South America's grape brandy — a clear, unaged spirit distilled once from wine, never diluted and never oaked, so what reaches the glass is pure grape. Peru's rules are the strictest in the spirits world, and its four bottles at Del Mesa Liquor, our family-owned store in San Diego, California, cover the whole grammar of the category: a non-aromatic puro, an acholado blend and two aromatic single-grape bottlings, from $34.99 to $36.99 in the brandy collection — all available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
The Three Styles: Puro, Acholado and the Aromatic Grapes
A pisco puro is a single grape variety. The non-aromatic grapes — Quebranta above all — give structure and texture; the aromatic grapes (Italia, Moscatel, Albilla, Torontel) give perfume. An acholado blends varieties, balancing the two families. Peruvian law requires a single distillation to bottling proof in copper pot stills, a rest in inert vessels, and forbids added water, wood ageing and additives — pisco is the grape, distilled once, exactly as it left the still. It is brandy in the same family tree as the houses in our cognac guide, with the oak deliberately left out.
The Bottles in Stock
- Barsol Pisco Puro Quebranta — $34.99. 750mL, 41.3% ABV. 100% Quebranta from the Ica Valley, single-distilled in alembic copper pots to bottle proof with no water added, rested at least a year in inert vessels at Bodega San Isidro.
- Capurro Pisco Acholado — $36.99. 750mL, 40% ABV (80 proof). A secret-recipe blend of estate grapes from Nasca, Ica — five generations of family pisco-making, rested 39 months, unfiltered, no additives.
- Vinas de Oro Pisco Italia — $36.99. 750mL, 41% ABV (82 proof). Single-varietal aromatic Italia, given a 12-hour maceration before distillation at the Brescia family estate in Chincha — the most decorated bottling in the line.
- Vinas de Oro Pisco Moscatel — $36.99. 750mL, 40% ABV (80 proof). Single-varietal aromatic Moscatel: pears, grapes, daisies and honeysuckle, rested 10 to 12 months in stainless steel.
How to Drink It: the Pisco Sour and Beyond
Start with Barsol Quebranta ($34.99) in the classic Pisco Sour: shake 2 oz pisco, 1 oz lime juice, 3/4 oz simple syrup and one egg white hard with ice, strain, and dot the foam with bitters. Quebranta's structure is why it is Peru's default sour grape. Capurro Acholado ($36.99) is the cocktail all-rounder — the family's century-old blend was built to balance aromatics and texture in mixed drinks. Then taste the aromatic pair neat or in a Chilcano (pisco, ginger ale, lime, bitters): Viñas de Oro Italia ($36.99) pours orange and lemon blossom, while Viñas de Oro Moscatel ($36.99) is all orchard fruit and flowers. For the oaked side of the brandy family, see our Armagnac and aged brandy guide; our story is on the about our store page, and every guide we publish is indexed on the Del Mesa blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is pisco?
Pisco is a clear grape brandy from Peru (and, in a different style, Chile). Peruvian pisco is made from wine distilled once in copper pot stills to bottling proof, then rested in inert vessels — never aged in wood, never diluted with water and made with no additives, so it tastes purely of its grapes.
What is the difference between pisco puro and acholado?
A pisco puro is made from a single grape variety — Barsol's 100% Quebranta ($34.99) or Viñas de Oro's single-grape Italia and Moscatel ($36.99 each). An acholado, like Capurro's ($36.99), blends several grape varieties to balance the structure of non-aromatic grapes with the perfume of aromatic ones.
How do you make a Pisco Sour?
Shake 2 oz pisco, 1 oz fresh lime juice, 3/4 oz simple syrup and one egg white vigorously with ice, strain into a chilled glass and add a few drops of bitters on the foam. A structured, non-aromatic puro like Barsol Quebranta is the classic choice because it holds its body against the citrus and foam.
Where can I buy Peruvian pisco online?
Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, California stocks Barsol Pisco Puro Quebranta, Capurro Pisco Acholado and Viñas de Oro's Italia and Moscatel puros, all available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor with nationwide shipping where permitted.