Pisco Collins

Either, and they genuinely differ. Peruvian pisco is bottled undiluted and unaged, arriving aromatic and dry. Chilean is often rested briefly in wood and can be softer. For a Collins, a Peruvian acholado or Quebranta gives you the most aroma per milliliter.

Too much syrup for the pisco you're using. Italia and Torontel bottlings are already perfumed and floral, so 15 ml of sugar on top reads as candy. Drop to 10 ml with an aromatic pisco and keep the full measure for a dry Quebranta.

Shake the pisco, lemon and syrup with cubes, strain into a tall glass over fresh ice, then add the soda. Building it whole leaves the syrup unintegrated, so the first mouthfuls come out sour and the last ones come out sweet.

Not quite. A Sour carries egg white, Angostura across the foam and no water beyond shaking dilution, which makes it dense and creamy. Removing the egg and adding 60 ml of soda changes the texture entirely, trading body for aroma and lift.

A classic Pisco Collins calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Pisco, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Fresh lemon juice, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Simple syrup, 60 ml (2 oz) Soda water. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Pisco Collins is roughly 13% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

Serve a Pisco Collins in a highball (tall) glass, over fresh ice cubes.