Celebrating Pisco: History, Culture, and Tradition
Placeres Magazine, edition 07 September 05, grateful for the opportunity
The fourth Sunday of July is celebrated as National Pisco Day, a Cultural Heritage of the Nation. We were invited to the honorary pisco event at the
Gran Hotel Bolívar, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary since its inauguration in 2024. A double reason to celebrate with pisco. We were asked to say
a few words for Pisco Day, and several of the guests participated in a small pisco discussion, sharing our experiences with our pisco. In one of these talks, Guy Vanackeren, president of the Belgian Chamber of Commerce and Culture
in Peru, reminded us of Hergé, famous for his comic strips about the adventures of Tintin. In 'The Temple of the Sun' (1949), there is a mention of pisco.
Some time ago, we published an excerpt from 'The Temple of the Sun' that takes place in Cusco. The image appears at the end of the comic. In the second panel, the character with a cigar in his mouth named Cuthbert says the following: “Why not forget the whole incident (...) and allow me to offer you a glass of pisco? It is our national drink (...)”. Then, in the fourth panel, the Captain says this to Tintin: “Our lucky day! I hardly thought we would see old Cuthbert! (...) It is also the happiest day of my life! (...) Hurrah for pisco! Everything is fine! (...) Everything is going to turn out right!” (Taken from Tintin by Hergé).
Another very interesting author mentioned at some point is Herman Melville (1819-1891), famous for his novel Moby-Dick. Melville, after traveling on a whaling ship, dedicated himself to writing about his experiences, and in several of his works, he mentions pisco. The one
I like the most is ‘The Encantadas’ (1854). It is a story set in the Galapagos Islands, in which a passage describes the situation of a woman who had no way to return to the mainland: ‘The island of Norfolk and the chola widow’.
“We were about to set sail, with the anchor still suspended and oscillating invisibly beneath the waters, when the sailor who was pushing the capstan with me suddenly stopped and drew my attention to something moving on land, not far from the beach, but a little further in, fluttering at a height. That it was above all the others was the reason I perceived the object, otherwise imperceptible; and this elevation of the gaze was due to the elevation of his spirit, and this, in turn—because we must tell the truth—was due to a little Peruvian pisco that our mulatto steward had secretly supplied him, as a reward for some service.
Now, certainly, pisco does quite a bit of harm in this world; however, regarding the rescue of a human being from the most terrible fate, must we also admit that pisco does quite a bit of good sometimes?” (Taken from Herman Melville, Complete Works, 2005, The Encantadas).
These are two stories that mention pisco in different circumstances. In both, in some way, pisco allows for a happy ending. In one, the success of a dangerous adventure is celebrated, and in the other, thanks to pisco, a woman in distress is saved. It allows us to share good moments with family and friends. It is not elitist; on the contrary, it unites us. Enjoy pisco responsibly.
By Livio Pastorino Wagner
Sommelier, Specialist, and Pisco Taster
Registration: CRDO-PISCO 2020 RCO-034-2011
@elmagozurdo
Placeres Magazine, No. 07 septiembre 05 del 2024
Pisco & music
Where pisco is the only protagonist!
#lapiscoteca #piscosour #winelover #pasionporlacata #bar #elpiscoesdelperu #vino #vinosdelperu #pisco #piscolover #Lima #Peru #Tacna #Ica #Arequipa #Moquegua @Piscorevista @elpiscoesdlperu @elmagozurdo @aspercat1 #piscopunch #piscosour #piscotonic #capitan #chilcanodepisco #Ica
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