The Cocktail College Podcast: ​​The Chilcano

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In Chila, Peru, there’s a classic hangover dish called Chilca. And while a Prohibition-era hangover cure inspired by fish head soup might make the Chilcano sound like the type of shot that makes you wince as you knock it back, in reality, the cocktail is a zesty, refreshing highball that puts pisco to great use.

Today on the “Cocktail College” podcast, Tim McKirdy is joined by Glendon Hardley, a D.C.-based bartender and proprietor of Service Bar, Causa, and Amazonia, to discuss the Chilcano. You’ve mastered the Pisco Sour and Pisco Punch, you’ve impressed your friends with El Capitán, and now it’s time to dive into this zesty, refreshing mix of pisco, ginger, and lime. Tune in for more.

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Glendon Hartley’s Chilcano Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces soda water
  • ½ ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 ounce ginger simple syrup
  • 1 ounce Torontel pisco
  • ½ ounce Italia pisco
  • Garnish: citrus tuile, lime wedge, or lime peel

Directions

  1. Over a large spear of ice in a chilled highball glass, first add soda water.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients.
  3. Garnish with a citrus tuile, lime wedge, or lime peel.

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Tim McKirdy
Glendon Hartley