StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
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29 StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2016 IMPORTED SPIRITS IMPORTED SPIRITS wood, and some do briefl y, creating a golden-hued brandy. There, piscos are categorized by proof - 30 percent ABV for traditional, 35 for especial, 40 for a reservado and 43 for a gran pisco. Aged piscos are either guarda (aged less than a year) or envejecido (aged at least one year). Three types of Muscat grapes are allowed, though Moscatel of Alexandria is the most widely used; Pedro Jimenez and Torontel are also allowed. In the U.S., the producers of Peru- vian pisco, like Diego Loret de Mola of BarSol, Melanie and Lizzie Asher of La Diablada and Macchu Pisco, Dug- gan McDonnell of Encanto and Johnny Schuler of Pisco Porton, have served as ambassadors and penetrated the on-prem- ise market, with some now expanding their reach into the off-premise. La Diablada, which now offers Moscatel and Italia va- rietals along with acholado, Macchu Pisco quebranta and mosto verde Nusta, expanded off-premise tastings includ- ing brandy-style cocktails made with pisco in the fall. Pisco Porton regularly conducts in-store samplings with staff training and education, making materials avail- able to retailers, including display racks, recipe cards, case cards and customized materials such as Peruvian food and recipe pairings. CACHAÇA CATCHES ON Cachaça, long sold as Brazilian rum in the U.S., is now protected by both a Brazilian government designation and here, in the U.S., by a trade agreement. It is produced only from fresh cane that must be pressed within 24 hours of cutting. The juice must be fermented immediately and cannot be stored, so cachaca is almost always produced fresh from the fi eld. There are two main types of cachaca, according to tra- dition - artisanal and industrial. The vast majority are in- dustrial, produced in large column stills in a continuous distillation process. Artisanal types are produced through- out the country on a small scale in pot stills. Brazilians age their cachaca in a variety of indigenous woods, but few such aged variants are widely available in the U.S. A surge in interest in the early part of the 21st A s the American romance with international spirits continues, retailers often fi nd themselves in the position of selling categories beyond their working knowledge base. Here, Stateways pres- ents seven of those exotic spirits in one place, creating a snapshot of their market potential, production methods and unique qualities. PICSO'S POPULARITY Pisco is a South American grape bran- dy, over which Peru and Chile have long battled as the rightful home coun- try. But for U.S. retailers, that merely means plenty of choice. Records of pisco production in Peru date to 1613, and the drink was once highly popular on the west coast of the U.S., especially in San Francisco. Pisco sours and punches were widely served there in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, Peru has fairly rigid standards of production. By law, pisco is made in limited regions by distilling fermented must of only eight grapes. There are two grape categories - aromatic (Italia, Albilla, Muscat, and Torontel) and non-aromatic (Quebranta, Negra Crio- lla, Mollar and Uvina). Peruvian pisco must be distilled to bottling proof (roughly 40 per- cent ABV), and aging in wood is not allowed. However, spirits may rest in stainless steel, glass or earthen jugs called piscos. Styles of Peruvian pisco in- clude puro (made from one varietal), and the more widely available acholado (blended pisco made from two or more varieties). Mosto verde pisco, made with partially unfermented must, tends to be rare and more expensive. In Chile, producers have fewer limitations. They may distill to a higher proof or multiple times and add water before bottling. They are also allowed to age in The Allure of Exotic S pirits BY JACK ROBERTIELLO varietal), and the more widely varieties). Mosto verde pisco, They are also allowed to age in