LUX Food & Drink Awards 2016

LUX - Food & Drink Awards 2016 7 Best Female Owned & Operated Spirits Company category, naming her Peruvian Businesswoman of the Year in 2012, and this Spring the Peruvian government appointed her as the sole pisco producer to be a Peruvian Ambassador on Gastronomic Diplomacy representing the culinary riches of her country. These accolades were not earned simply for the arduous work proselytizing about the wonders of Peru’s pisco, but due to the unparalleled quality of the Asher’s full range of piscos. Macchu Pisco proudly hails the Championship Trophy with 95 points for best pisco for pisco sours by the Ultimate Cocktail Challenge. La Diablada wears the same badge of honor as Grey Goose, the Gold Medal from the Beverage Testing Institute. Ñusta won the Gold Medal in Peru’s most important psco competition, the Concurso Nacional. Ultimately, these beautiful, natural spirits are a superb way to celebrate traditional distilling in all its glory. So next time you find yourself drinking one of pisco’s flagship cocktails like the Pisco Sour or the Pisco Punch, raise a glass to these sisters who have been blazing a trail for modern drinkers to enjoy a forgotten spirits category dating back over 400 years. And most importantly, dare your bartender to explore the versatility of pisco since as the Macchu Pisco claims, “every bottle embodies the wonders and mysteries of Peruvian terroir and the unique expression of each grape varietal.” The pinnacle of sophistication in the Pisco world is Ñusta, meaning “Inca Princess” in Quechua. The first pisco to break into the luxury category, Ñusta is a “mosto verde” style pisco made from an extraordinary 30 pounds of carefully hand-selected Italia grapes. Launched in October of this year, the traditional drink is the result of the loving care of, Melanie who uses the century-old technique of delicately pressing grapes using a gravity press, showcasing her talents and dedication to her craft. Ñusta’s remarkable story is recounted in hand- crafted ceramic bottles –originally designed and inspired by huacos, the elegant casks of Incan royalty. The essence of this single-distilled sprit is captured in copper pot stills, yielding aromas reminiscent of orange blossom and lemongrass. With no sugar, water, yeast or coloring added, Ñusta offers its drinkers a pure, unctuous mouth feel and is recommended to be served as a sipping Pisco- perfect for those with truly refined palates. Released exclusively in the UK, France, Dubai, Australia and the US with a limited production of just 100 cases per year, this is the definition of luxury and is only present in the most distinguished of drinks cabinets. After all, Ñusta’s first bottling earned the Gold Medal at the Concurso Nacional, Peru’s premier competition that awards only the country’s best pisco offerings. “every bottle embodies the wonders and mysteries of Peruvian terroir and the unique expression of each grape varietal.”