PISCO : The history

The conditions for preparation of pisco were established centuries earlier by smart Inca engineers between Ica and Moquegua regions on the southern peruvian coast. This area has a dry, infertile and desert weather when the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century. The Inca civil engineering set foundations of future farming, harvest and cultivation of grapes in the Ica-Moquegua region. The Spaniards followed and tracked clues left by Inca emperor Pachacutec and channeled andean river waters to where they planned to cultivate their vineyards and other fields.

Henk Milne (a north american historian) and her staff described the long legend Incan of Pachacutec:

Before Spaniards discovered America, Inca emperor Pachacutec offered his hand (and his kingdom) in marriage to a fair and beautiful maiden from the Peruvian mountains and was rejected in favor of her plebeian and current boyfriend, he might have been punished for being chosen, but instead of pressing over the making of his desire by, say, imprison the rival and go after on the nuptials, or other similar simple and monarchical solution so common in those times, he gave in gracefully. He offered the woman to grant her dearest wish. She, said that her wish was that the waters of the rivers be brought to her village in the middle of the desert. 15 days later, 40,000 workers wiped theirs brow, pusking all the shovels and sat down beside the 50-kilometer canal they had dug. The Inca Supreme Panjadrum dubbed this artificial and hand-worked waterway: "Achirana".

This Achirana provided the Spaniards with sufficient water to plant several seeds and vineyards with the Quebranta grape in 1548. These vineyards were so fertile that within less that 12 years, Peru exported grapes and wine to Argentina, Chile, Spain and other countries. In the Ica region flourished over 150,000 acres of vineyards. The cultivation of the grape in L. America was a result of Ica's success and it is believed that other kinds of grapes as Criolla of Argentina and the Pais of Chile are direct descendants of the Negra Quebranta grape originally brought over to the new world (America) by the Spaniards.

Incan people had a favorite drink called Chicha, a purple-colored made from aged corn and water. This beverage was a ceremonial alcoholic drink for Inca people and could be made only by beautiful women, the called "chosen ones."

One of the main occupations of those "chosen women" was the preparation of this alcoholic chicha for the Inca lord and his nobles, and its making process required the crushing of the different types of corn after it had been boiled. Many hours of crushing was demanded because much chicha was drunk by the people. Drunkenness was required at Incan festivals and ceremonies, since the liquor of corn was as sacred as the seed they named "life giver". No meeting or ceremony began without the Inca lord or board of priest pouring this chicha on the ground to honor and praise the corn goddess: Mama Sara.

The Spaniards, at this time, craved their spanish brandies. "The found through trial and error that there was a grape called Quebranta that produced a pure, highly potent, pure, tasty and aromatic brandy which in the future became known by the port from which it was widely exported to demanding drinkers abroad: Pisco.

This drink is the current national drink of Peru and comes mainly in two sorts: “sipping” for the palate without blends or additives and there are more fine ones and “rough” best used for preparing the famous Pisco Sour.