A Contemporary Twist on Pisco Sour
Lima would ordinarily be a more likely destination for an authentic pisco sour than Los Angeles. But in the City of Angels, locals head to Comme Ca Restaurant for a fresh take on the South American favorite: the Porton Lavender Pisco Sour, created by mixologist Yuval Soffer.
As the restaurant's name might imply, the cuisine is decidedly français and bistro in nature at Comme Ca, created under the watchful eye of award-winning chef David Myers. But the drinks are largely the domain of bartender Yuval Soffer, who has created a tasty variation on the pisco sour, the cocktail that was invented — depending on who you ask — in either Peru or Chile, using pisco (a white spirit distilled from grapes), lemon or lime juice, egg whites and bitter.
Soffer — who began his bar tending career in Tel Aviv 12 years ago — uses Pisco Portón, a new brand that launched in April, to produce his Portón Lavender Pisco Sour. Pisco Portón has been staging events throughout the United States to introduce night owls to the product, but Soffer has become an ambassador in his own right. This mosto verde variety of pisco — which is produced using must (grape juice) that has not completely fermented — has proved especially amenable to creative variations on one of South America’s most legendary cocktails. And happily for those of us unable to visit Comme Ca, Soffer has agreed to share his once-secret recipe.
