Cedrón Pisco Sour
A South American pisco sour with pisco infused in fresh cedrón leaves—the classic foam-topped cocktail elevated by intense lemon-verbena aromatics.
The pisco sour is sacred in Peru and Chile, and cedrón is at home in both kitchens. Infusing pisco with fresh cedrón leaves for just an hour creates a spirit that smells like a citrus orchard, layering perfectly over the cocktail's lime and egg-white base.
Quick infusion is the key. Pisco is a delicate, grape-driven spirit, and over-infusing destroys its character. Sixty minutes with fresh cedrón leaves at room temperature is plenty—you want a subtle aromatic lift, not a green herbal tincture.
Build the sour the classic way: dry shake first to create the egg-white foam, then wet shake with ice. Use fresh lime juice (Pisco Sour uses lime, not lemon, despite the name in English) and a simple syrup that's a touch lighter than the classic to let the cedrón come through.
For a mocktail version, combine cedrón cold brew with fresh lime juice, simple syrup, a dash of orange bitters, and aquafaba for the foam. Shake hard, strain into a coupe, and float a drop of Angostura on top. You keep the entire ritual and the lemon-verbena aroma—you just lose the warm pisco heat.
Ingredients
- 60 ml pisco
- 1 tbsp fresh cedrón leaves (lemon verbena)
- 30 ml fresh lime juice
- 15 ml simple syrup
- 1 egg white (or 30 ml aquafaba)
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 fresh cedrón sprig for garnish
How to make it
- 1Infuse the pisco: combine pisco and fresh cedrón leaves in a sealed jar at room temperature for 1 hour. Strain through a fine sieve.
- 2Add infused pisco, lime juice, simple syrup, and egg white to a cocktail shaker.
- 3Dry shake without ice for 15 seconds to build the foam.
- 4Add ice and shake vigorously another 15 seconds. Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- 5Drop 3 dashes of Angostura bitters onto the foam in a triangle. Garnish with a cedrón sprig.
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