Suck It Up

Well, there are categories and there are categories. Founded in 1995 to honor each year’s best books on food and drink, the international Gourmand Association has just announced its pick in the category of "Best Hispanic-American Wine Literature." Not Best Hispanic Literature. Not Best Wine Literature. Not even Best Hispanic Wine Literature, in which there might be hundreds of worthy contenders. But Best Hispanic-American Wine Literature, and the winner is Alas de los Querubines (Wings of the Cherubs) by Peruvian author Guillermo Toro-Lira, according to Livinginperu.com. The book chronicles the trajectory of Pisco Punch, a beverage invented in a San Francisco, California bar at the close of the 19th century. The recipe is based on a Peruvian brandy, pisco, which was popular among Gold Rush-era prospectors. Other ingredients include pineapple, lime juice, sugar, water, and gum arabic — for that fun viscosity factor. Strong and sweet, it has faded from most bartenders’ repertoires. "I am very honored to receive this award and I am pleased that my book will help spread the word about Peruvian pisco to the gastronomic world," declared Toro-Lira, who spent five years researching the book. Judges for the contest included Prince Franz-Wilhelm of Prussia.