Ingredients
Drink
- 50 mlpisco
- 50 mlsweet red vermouth
- a dash of Angostura bitters, optional
- ice for stirring
To serve
- a chilled coupe or a small tumbler
- a maraschino cherry, or a strip of orange peel
Directions
- Use a good sweet red vermouth, and taste it before you use it. Keep it in the fridge after opening and use it within a month or two.
- Start at equal parts, since that is how it is made in Puno, and adjust from there. This drink is stirred, never shaken.
- Fill a mixing glass with plenty of ice and pour the pisco and vermouth over. Stir with a bar spoon for twenty to thirty seconds.
- Stir long enough to chill it properly, since a briefly stirred drink is warm and harsh. The outside of the glass should frost.
- Use plenty of ice, since a lot of ice melts more slowly and gives better control than a few cubes.
- Strain it into a chilled glass, leaving all the ice behind.
- Chill the glass in the freezer beforehand, which keeps the drink cold to the last sip. Serve it immediately, while it is properly cold.
Technique
- It is essentially a Manhattan made with pisco.
- Stir it rather than shaking, since shaking clouds an all-spirit drink.
- Equal parts is the traditional Peruvian ratio, sweeter than a modern Manhattan.
Substitutions
- Any good sweet red vermouth, tasted first.
- An acholado pisco as a reasonable default.
Variations
- Made two to one, for a drier drink.
- With a dash of Angostura bitters.
- Made with an aromatic pisco, which is more floral.
History
A southern Andean bar drink, especially in Puno and Cusco, drunk against the highland cold.
Frequently asked questions
What is Capitán?
Capitán is a cocktail from Peru: pisco and sweet vermouth stirred with ice and served up. A southern Andean bar drink, especially in Puno and Cusco, drunk against the highland cold.
How long does Capitán take to make?
Capitán takes 3 min of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Capitán?
Yes, within limits. Any good sweet red vermouth, tasted first. An acholado pisco as a reasonable default.
What is the most important thing to get right in Capitán?
Start at equal parts, since that is how it is made in Puno, and adjust from there. This drink is stirred, never shaken.
