


Distiller Notes





BarSol is leading the pisco renaissance into the modern age with the revitalization of the historic Bodega San Isidro in the Ica Valley region of Peru, which has long been recognized for its pisco production. The historic Bodega San Isidro facility is located in the southern extremes of the Ica Valley pisco grape growing region, which is near the Tacaraca Huaca ruins dating back to the days of the Incas. The estate was founded in the 1800s; however, the oldest verifiable documents in the local town archives date back to 1919, when Bodega San Isidro and a series of plantations were all part of a single purchase/sale transaction. Back in 1940, the bodega's owner was a skilled master distiller named Doña Blanca Mendiola, whose family made renowned pisco for decades. Her only son, Don Alfredo Mendiola Martinez, took over from his mother in the 1960s, but sadly closed down the commercial operation in 1968 when the military government expropriated all their land.
In 2002, the Bodega San Isidro found new ownership under Carlos Ferreyros and Diego Loret de Mola with a vision to bring to every "bar" in the world the ultimate pisco produced under the "sol" (sun) of Ica, hence the brand "BarSol." The pride of the distillery is the century-old, original estate-owned copper pot stills that are used to make all of BarSol's piscos, under the guidance of master distiller Alfredo Mendiola Martinez. In addition, the structure of the distillery has been reconditioned in order to maintain the artisanal style of the 100-year-old distillery.

Essentially a South American take on Brandy, Pisco is made in the wine-growing regions of Chile and Peru through a single distillation of fermented grape juice (wine) in copper pot stills. The result is a clear to amber colored high-proof spirit whose flavor and aroma can vary dramatically depending on the grape varieties used. Furthermore, up to 27 pounds of grapes can be required to make just one 750ml bottle of Pisco! It is most often enjoyed in one of the many cocktails created especially for it, such as the Pisco Sour, Serena Libre or Pisco Punch.