James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on February 4, 2021 by James Bustamante
Everyone knows about Machu Picchu the Inca city but did you know there is a Machu Picchu cocktail? This colorful concoction is prepared with a base of Pisco, grenadine, mint, and orange juice.
Origin of Machu Picchu Cocktail
This Pisco based drink’s origins can be a little murky but the information that is available allows us to track its likely inception in the city of Cusco (where else?…. ).
Bernardo Solis Loaiza, who was a barman at the Libertador hotel in Cusco, came up with the idea for the Machu Picchu cocktail in the year 1984.
The main ingredients are of course Pisco followed by orange juice, spearmint, and last grenadine syrup. The result of mixing all of these ingredients is a colorful cocktail showing off bright orange, red, and green.
Travelers note: Pisco is a clear spirit made from a particular type of grape called “Uva Quebranta”. It only grows in Peru and t is by all purposes a clear brandy with a particular finish. Pisco originates in the town called “Pisco” near the Inca region of Peru. You can visit Ica, Pisco, Paracas on your way down from Lima.
Machu Picchu Cocktail Colors and What They Represent
This colorful Machu Picchu themed drink has colors that characterize it. The orange, red, and green is supposed to represent the flag of the Inca empire known as the Tahuantinsuyu which has the colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple on it.
The interesting bit of data here is that the Inca never had an official flag. In the year 1978 Cusco and the regional governors decided to make the vibrantly colored flag of Cusco the official one for the Inca empire as well.
How to Make The Machu Picchu Cocktail
Time Needed : 00 days 00 hours 2 minutes
The preparation for this cocktail is quite simple. It basically uses 4 ingredients (5 if you count ice). You can almost eye the ingredients as you are mixing them, the hard part is making sure all the colors are separated once you are done.
How You Place The Ice Matters
We go ahead and pour the ice cubes into a long glass. Make sure not to overcrowd the glass by using too much ice. Remember you need a good amount of free space in the glass to make sure all the layers settle correctly.
Setting The First Layer
Go ahead and add the grenadine syrup over the ice. Wait until most of the syrup has settled at the bottom.
Setting the Second Layer of Orange Juice
Try tilting the glass to the side a little bit and very slowly add the orange juice. This will add a layer over the thick grenadine syrup. At this point have some patience since we are almost done.
Preparing The Final Layer
In a cocktail shaker mix the mint along with our Pisco. If you do not have a cocktail mixer you can use another glass.
Adding The Final Layer
Now comes the final part. Go ahead and add the mix of Pisco and mint to the long glass. To this slowly and carefully to make sure this makes up the third layer of the Machu Picchu cocktail drink.
We Keep it Fancy
What’s life without a little flare? For presentation, purposes try using some orange peel or the orange we used for the juice. You did use fresh oranges for the juice right?
Tools
- Cocktail Shaker
Tall glass or long glass
Peeler – For the garnish
Materials
- Pisco (1.5 ounces)
Grenadine syrup (1 ounce)
Spearmint (1 ounce)
Orange juice (1 ounce) – 1 fresh orange to squeeze juice from.
Plenty of Ice Cubes
Conclusion
There you have it. You can try the Machu Picchu at home anytime you want. If you want to try this cocktail while in Peru then we recommend you get through your Machu Picchu hike first, then reward yourself with this delicious drink at one of the local bars or pubs in Cusco.
