Name: El Capitán
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: Cocktail
Ingredients: 45 ml Pisco; 45 ml Rosso/sweet vermouth; 1 dash Aromatic bitters

Ingredients

1 1/2 fl oz

BarSol Mosto Verde Italia Pisco

1 1/2 fl oz

Strucchi Rosso Vermouth (chilled)

1 dash

Angostura Aromatic Bitters

How to make

Glassware

Prepare

Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.

Prepare garnish of skewered green olives.

Method

STIR all ingredients with ice.

FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

Garnish with skewered olives.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol

Medium

Boozy

Sweet

Medium

Dry/sour

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of El Capitán contains 139 calories

Alcohol content:

1.5 standard drinks
22.8% alc./vol. (45.6° proof)
20.6 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Rosso/rouge/sweet vermouth (di Torino) — Sulphur Dioxide/Sulphites

History

The combination of vermouth and pisco probably dates to soon after vermouth arrived in Peru during the 1850s-60s with Italian immigrants. Pisco being the dominant spirit, it was a natural progression to mix it with the newly available fortified wine. However, the ingredients would have simply been combined and served without ice.

How this combination acquired its El Capitán name is unknown, but it is said to date back to the 1920s, when it was apparently popular with army captains in the city of Puno in southeastern Peru.

Gallery

Comments & Discussion

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Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 5w

Having revisited El Capitán and tried different proportions, I’ve moved to equal-parts not only being the simplest, but the best ratio.

Jota 33w

I’ve been making Capitanes in Peru for over 15 years.

I like to use a blend of Uvina and Quebranta Piscos (grape varieties used to produce Pisco). Uvina brings saline and herbal notes, while Quebranta adds structure and dried fruit character.
After adding the rosso vermouth, I finish it with one dash of Angostura before stirring, then squeeze the oils from an orange peel over the drink, and garnish with a green olive with the pit.

More recently, I discovered that a small amount of olive brine beautifully amplifies the vermouth’s wine-like character and the natural salinity of the Uvina (it also works well with Quebranta), while keeping the drink’s classic structure intact. I simply call this version the Dirty Capitán.

Egg McKenzie 41w

i really enjoyed this. i'm not a manhattan guy but this hit the spot. also tried making a perfect one but i think it's better with just sweet vermouth. tasted like cocafuckingcola but boozy.

Calvin Grant Premium Member 2y

Didn't care for this much, cold after a long stir. Thought perhaps the acholado flavors were clashing with the vermouth. Let it sit until near room temperature. Much improved. So I poured 15ml pisco room temp., 7.5 sweet vermouth (fridge) and a drop angostura and it was an excellent sipper. Interesting how much temperature can change the flavour profile! I've never been a fan of the Manhattan (there's so many excellent rifs on Difford's Guide ((Thank-s Simon))

Calvin Grant Premium Member 2y

Oops I bumped SUBMIT ...Thank's Simon, but to complete a thought... maybe I should try a manhattan neat. And the El Capitan is really good straight out of the bottles without any dilution. Plus bitters.

Simon Difford Verified User Premium Member 2y

There's a Manhattan for you out there. Just a question of discovering which one it is. You have reminded me that I need to work on some batched and bottled recipes. Thanks for your support.