Pisco set for 2012 success

Pisco is set for an exciting 2012 as global consumption continues to rise, according to a leading producer.

Javier Marcos, export director at Chilean producer Capel, the world’s largest Pisco producer, is sure that the growing demand from consumers for new drinks and flavours will help build the category in new markets around the globe.

“Today we are the market leaders in Chile just as we are in the international market and we see no reason why we should not continue growing,” he told the drinks business.

“We doubled our international sales in 2010 and we are just coming to the end of another highly successful year. The Pisco category is growing more and more popular with each passing year.”

Pisco is a colourless, or sometimes pale yellow-coloured grape brandy produced in the winemaking regions of Chile and Peru.

In the past, Peru has tried to claim exclusive rights to the use of the term “Pisco” as an appellation of origin.

However, many countries such as the US, France, Italy, Mexico and Canada allow the Chilean product to be identified as “Chilean Pisco”.

While Marcos admits that consumer knowledge of Pisco may be limited in some markets, he is confident that through the continued support of bartenders, the category will continue to grow.

“Consumers are constantly looking for new experiences in their lives, things which give them pleasure and get them excited,” he said.

“Bartenders and mixologists around the world are realising that Pisco is an excellent alternative in the preparation of many cocktails and gives them a huge chance to be creative and develop new drinks.

“I have been lucky enough to visit bars all over the world enjoying wonderful Pisco cocktails and it makes us proud as an industry to have a product that people are consuming more and more despite the fact there are no aggressive, multi-million-dollar marketing campaigns surrounding it.”