Machu Picchu
A dazzling layered pisco cocktail from Cusco whose three vivid tiers of red, orange, and green honor the colors of the ancient Inca flag.
- 1½ ozpisco
- 1 ozfresh orange juice
- ½ ozgrenadine
- ½ ozcreme de menthe
- Orange slice and fresh mint spriggarnish
- 1Fill a highball glass with cubed ice.
- 2Pour the grenadine into the bottom of the glass.
- 3Slowly pour the fresh orange juice over the back of a bar spoon to create a second distinct layer.
- 4In a separate small glass, stir together the pisco and creme de menthe until combined.
- 5Carefully pour the pisco-mint mixture over the back of a bar spoon to float it as the top layer.
- 6Garnish with an orange slice and a sprig of fresh mint. Serve with a straw and instruct guests not to stir, to preserve the three layers.
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Created in 1984 by Cusco bartender Bernardo Solis Loaiza while working at the Hotel Libertador in Cusco, Peru, this visually striking layered cocktail was conceived as a tribute to the ancient Inca citadel. The three distinct color layers -- red from grenadine, orange from fresh juice, and green from creme de menthe -- represent the colors of the Tahuantinsuyo flag, the banner of the Inca Empire. The drink became a symbol of Peruvian pride and today appears on menus throughout Peru alongside other beloved pisco classics.
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