The true story of the “Pisco Sour”

All rights reserved © Morris Family 2008

Part of the destinguished guests at the opening of the railroad to Callao Cerro de Pasco, on July 28, 1904, the day the birth of the “Pisco Sour.” Note the background a lot of groups occupying the stands of the “Casa de Piedra” and adjacent facilities.

~ Viva la Peru ~ HAPPY INDEPENDENTS DAY PERU

The history of this iconic drink of Peru beginning in the Cerro de Pasco on July 28, 1904. That day the railway opened Callao Cerro de Pasco. Reaches extraordinary popularity in 1915 when his creator, Victor Vaughen Morris, owner of the “Morris Bar, 847 Boza Street, announced its service in major newspapers in the following terms:

Bar Drinks at Morris Bar

” The Morris Bar “has a select selection of the best brands of wines, spirits and imported beer, with Grooming: Cocktail Gin, Silver Cocktail, Cocktail Jersey, Washington Cocktail, Cocktail Prairie, Manhattan Cocktail, Whiskey Cocktail, Cherry Cocktail Bronx Cocktail, Gin Fizz Cocktail, Silver Fizz Cocktail, Cocktail World, Bitter Shake, Golden Fizz, Flip Cherry Wine, Pisco Sour, Gin Sour, Sour Chapangne, Morris Cocktail, Martini Cocktail, Oyster Cocktail, Cocktail Brandy, Vermouth Cocktail, Old Tom Cocktail, Monkey Gland Cocktail, Milk Cocktail .

Visit us on the street Boza

No. 847 of Jiron de la Union. Tel. No. 2235. ” This bar offers the exquisite preparation of the “Pisco Sour.”

Since then, as it is said that Luis Alberto Sanchez, an active character of that era, “The Morris Bar, run by Mr. Morris himself, a lame gringo who had worked as a barman in the Mines of Cerro de Pasco, hosted the best Lima drinkers.

The true story of the “Pisco Sour” – (cont)

Morris was a great teach of drinks. Had popularized the Pisco Sour. ” This well decorated bar came to be preferred instead of quotes from the most noted personalities of the time: Abraham Valdelomar, Augusto Leguia Swayne, Alfredo González Prada, Alejandro Ureta, Federico More, Pablo Abril de Vivero, José Carlos Mariategui, José María Eguren … Not for nothing was in the middle strip of the Union, at a time when initiating the unforgettable: “Belle Epoque” with all its wonderful implications.

At that time, Lima could not be as happy. Tram rails as metal arteries, crossing the main streets of the capital, French pilots founded the School of Aviation, with great success and the Cerro de Pasco-economic in full swing gave the first two fighters to the fledgling institution the beautiful and winged Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova, accompanied by his countryman Volinini, dazzled to Lima with his art master at the Teatro Principal, the leading popular singer, Antonia Mercé, playing Albéniz, Falla, Lalo, and the most popular fandangos Jacks, movin ‘and loneliness, has amazed audiences boisterous and happy. The traditional albero the Plaza de Acho, presented the most prominent bullfighters of the time. Joselito, Belmonte, Gaona …. The opera was not absent, Verdi, Puccini, Leo Cavallo, Pietro Macagni, was applauded in our first stage, the theater company of the unforgettable Mary Guerrero, met their presentations to packed houses. Lima was happy!. Shed the most unique elegance of Lima, it was the Palais Concert, Baquijano street. Four large doors on this street, and one of escape, by Mining. In the first room, the bar, the second, confectionery, in the third and fourth, the living area and a hanging mezzanine, a leading orchestra “Ladies Viennese, playing selected musical pieces.

Starting from the Plaza de Armas, in the wisp of the Union could admire the Garden Strasbourg, the French Botica, Leonard Fountain Sodas, confectionery Broggi, “meeting of deputies, journalists, writers, financiers, painters, bullfighters-the Klein, “La ville de Paris”, “La ville de Lyon”, “The Smart”, “La Samaritaine” Botica English, the Spanish shirt, and many other prestigious establishments. The fact is that all brilliant men, demanding gentlemen then concurred “Bar Morris” to taste the rich “Pisco Sour” prepared by Morris himself, who had just arrived, lost in the mining town of Cerro de Pasco, where he was superintendent of the Railway Company and a great fan of the preparation of drinks, thereafter, gained fame in Peru. Had nothing to do the “Maury” or the “Bolivar” in the birth of this famous drink, as daring adventurers want to appear.

” Victor Vaughen Morris, was born on August 5, 1873, in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America, a large and well reputed Mormon family. Little is known of his childhood, he received adequate elementary education. Exercising the profession of florist.

In 1900, Victors brother Burton was shot and killled. Victor will manage the florist shop. That year he received the task of preparing a rail car full of flowers, in honor of the miners killed in an explosion in a coal mine in the nearby city of Scoofield. This tragedy that left deep scars left the balance of 107 widows and 270 children without a father. It is at that time in the beginning to show their hobbies in attendance at the bar and the artistic creation of sophisticated drinks.

In September 1902, an event happens that will forever change his life and is, to our knowledge, the first link in a chain that ends with the creation of our delicious cocktail. The aforementioned A. E. Welby, resignation to the superintendent of the Rio Grande Western Company, a subsidiary of Utah, and travels to Peru to take over the administration of the Railway Company “Cerro de Pasco Railway Company, in the Cerro de Pasco. Their mission: to complete the section of the rail link to the Cerro de Pasco to La Oroya. The work of laying of the last section, which bound him to the port of Callao, was interrupted from 1893. As is known, the Cerro de Pasco was at that time, a vibrant mining town that was in full swing, a settlement very rich in silver and copper, the latter being ignored, due to high transport costs to the Peruvian coast. Since 1887, a miners’ union, formed in New York, had begun to evaluate copper reserves of Cerro de Pasco. After a thorough study, technicians realize that their reserves were infinitely great, and contain other valuable minerals. It was fuller and richer site on the planet. Were to incredible wealth. James B. Haggin, mining promoter, born in Kentucky and A. W. Mc Cunn, a miner from Salt Lake City decide to send to Cerro de Pasco, James Mc Farlane, a mining engineer, to certify the mineral potential of the area. After receiving a very positive report, the February 22, 1902, establishing the company’s Cerro de Pasco Investment Company. ” The nascent company, through its subsidiary in Peru, Cerro de Pasco Mining Company, bought the majority of mining concessions there. European local miners sell their properties. That same year they buy all rights and create railway company, Cerro de Pasco Railway Company, which is responsible for the construction of the 82 miles: La Oroya – Cerro de Pasco.

The mining project of Cerro de Pasco had caused great commotion in the Salt Lake City, especially because, A. W. Mc Cunn, was one of “theirs”, as one of the main stakeholders of the enterprise. In January 1902, dozens of mining experts of the city and surrounding areas, migrate to the Cerro de Pasco.

Shortly after the departure of A. E. Welby to Peru, is that Victor Morris decide to sell the florist shop that had brought so many benefits. Find a job in the auditing department of the Oregon Short Line railroad company that links the states of Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Oregon. Served in that position until June 1903 when he was hired by A. E. Welby, to work in the sales section of the railway company, Cerro de Pasco Railway Company, in the Cerro de Pasco. On June 8 of that year took the train from Salt Lake City to San Francisco and California from the port is shipped to Peru, in a steamboat. From there, the Cerro de Pasco.

A short time after Morris arrived at Cerro de Pasco, A. E. Welby, “the contractor, decides to resign his post after serving one year. There was no able to adapt to life in the place that had caused him acute polycythemia and annoying, leaving as a senior member of the command of the Railway Company.

In March 1904, Morris is already in the Cerro de Pasco working as a railroad executive. At 12 days of July 28, 1904, coinciding with the 83avo anniversary of the independence of Peru, arrived with extraordinary pomp, the first railroad to the Cerro de Pasco. The inaugural event is truly majestic. Newspapers then magnified the event. There are 5,000 people in attendance. Tabladillo were prepared for the important characters, including consuls, council, delegates from the mines, lawyers, doctors, priests, and numerous other members of society. The ladies of the city wove two large flags, one Peruvian and one American, made of silk, gold and silver, which were placed on the front of the locomotive who wore the number 100. They settled hundreds of Peruvian and U.S. flags on wagons were first class. Cerreño all the people in attendance. Victor Morris, in his capacity as superintendent, was the host who attended the ceremony and participated in organizing the event decorations and beverages prepared for. He later told his relatives that, given the large audience and failing to prepare the drinks whiskey, replace it with pisco, and his surprise was great when it finds that the taste was better, giving birth to the famous Pisco Sour. That afternoon, after countless speeches and toasts, the event ended, almost into the night. Had been born the Pisco Sour.

On September 28, 1905, three years of stay in the city, Victor Morris married Maria Isabel Vargas Quintanilla, daughter of the Dispatcher of the Railway Company, born in Cerro de Pasco, 17 May 1887. The wedding was an unprecedented event in the mining town. Civil marriage transformed the cerreña, Maria Vargas, a U.S. citizen. Victor and Maria Morris come to have three children: Richard, born in Cerro de Pasco, October 23, 1906, Robert, born in Callao, 29 April 1910, and Rebecca Jane, born in Cerro de Pasco on 2 February 1913. His three children are registered as U.S. citizens. Little is known about this part of the Morris cerropasqueños life, which may have involved several trips to Lima and Callao. All that is known is that Rebecca, in 1907, married in the city of Pacific Grove, California, and decided to settle in the city of Berkeley, located within walking distance of San Francisco, where he engaged in the business of property roots.

Victor Morris, alternating their preparations sophisticated drink specials go fishing and golf. Commanded the Cerro de Pasco Railway Company, until 1915, when fused with the Cerro de Pasco Mining Company, to form the Cerro de Pasco Copper Corporation.

Now retired, he decides to reside in the city of Lima where the way of entertainment spend their hours in the preparation of sophisticated drinks. When he opened the “Bar Morris” did not imagine the feeling and the success of your business would be born with the Pisco Sour which thereafter became a favorite of many customers.

As Luis Alberto Sanchez recounts several of his works, “Morris Bar” was not only meeting place of the great figures of the time, but also councils of prominent men of the mazonería and political riots perpetrated in their tables and revolutions. For example, when plotting a revolt against the tyrant Leguía carrying eleven years in power, a waste of foreign loans and the resulting debt, repressive laws, dictatorship, delivery of the national territory to neighboring countries, nepotism and waste superfluous national assets. Among generous glass of the national drink, demanded free elections, abolition of conscription road, stopping monumental works, suspension of foreign debt, amnesty, free party games, economic austerity, review of boundary treaties recent dignity of the citizen and respect the judiciary. It was at their table where they received the news of the fall of the dictator and were in them, which was held with Pisco Sour, the beginning of the government of “Mocho” Sánchez Cerro.

The anecdote is immense, but, while he lived, the “Morris Bar” was paramount about the vicissitudes of national life thanks to the delicious Pisco Sour.

Over the years, and now completely popular, become our flagship drink, echoing a private initiative, the Minister of Production, Eduardo Iriarte Jimenez, with the corresponding Ministerial Resolution, declared on 8 February of each year, “The Pisco Sour Day “nationwide.

New Book

This resolution is intended to promote greater consumption of pisco in our country promoting the increased production and exports in the competitive international market.

All rights reserved © Morris Family 2008

See you all in 2011 for PISCO SOUR DAYS…

Victor Vaughen Morris was the host of the ceremony participating in the organization and the decorations of the event, also directed the preparation of the drinks that I invite the contenders, was so great I number of guests whom lack of whiskey to continue are preparing the cocktails like the Sour Whiskey I replace, it with Peruvian Pisco, and its surprise was immense when verifying that the flavor of the new cocktail was insurmountable and from that moment but asked for by the concurrence to I finish of the event, being born therefore famous PISCO SOUR.