Pisco is the national drink of Peru, and the pisco sour is the national cocktail. Pisco is a clear grape brandy distilled on Peru’s coast, from Lima south to Tacna.
The most popular drinks in Peru are the pisco sour, the chilcano, Peruvian beer and Inca Kola. Chicha morada, chicha de jora and mate de coca (coca tea) are also widely drunk. From our base in Cusco, these are the drinks we order ourselves.
Pisco has been part of Peru’s National Cultural Heritage since 1988. Both Peru and Chile claim pisco and the pisco sour as their own. This guide covers the Peruvian style.
| Drink | Alcohol? | Tastes like | Where to try it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pisco | Yes, 38 to 48% ABV | Clear grape brandy; the flavor depends on the grape | Bodegas on Peru’s coast, bars and liquor stores |
| Pisco sour | Yes | Tart lime, light sweetness and an egg-white foam | Hotel bars and cocktail lounges ($8 to $12), restaurants |
| Chilcano | Yes | Pisco with ginger ale and lime | Bars and restaurants |
| Peruvian beer | Yes | Light, crisp lagers, plus darker malt and wheat styles | Shops and restaurants |
| Chicha de jora | Yes, low alcohol | Fermented corn drink | Chicherías in Andean villages, marked by a red flag or bag on a pole |
| Inca Kola | No | Yellow soda, often compared to bubblegum or cream soda | Shops and restaurants |
| Chicha morada | No | Purple corn drink with cinnamon, clove and fruit | Restaurants and markets |
| Mate de coca | No | Herbal tea of coca leaves | Cafés and hotels in Cusco and the Andes |
| Emoliente | No | Hot herbal drink with lime | Street carts, especially in Lima at breakfast |
| Jugos naturales | No | Fresh-blended fruit | Juice stalls in local markets |
| Camu camu | No | Tart Amazon fruit, served as a pink refresco | Markets in the Amazon |
| Aguaje | No (juice); a fermented version exists | Palm fruit, used in juices and ice cream | Markets in the Peruvian Amazon |
Traditional Peruvian drinks fall into three groups: grape spirits and cocktails, beers and corn drinks, and alcohol-free sodas, herbal teas and fresh fruit juices. Below we go drink by drink through each group.
Food and drink go together in Peru, so read this alongside our guide to what to eat in Peru.
Peruvian alcohol starts with grapes and corn. Pisco, Peru’s best-known liquor, is the spirit behind most Peruvian cocktails. Chicha de jora is the older Andean drink, already ceremonial under the Inca.
Pisco is a grape brandy made only by distilling freshly fermented must of pisco grapes in pot stills. No water or additives go in, and the finished spirit sits between 38 and 48% ABV.
Peruvian pisco is distilled once, bottled without added water and never aged in wood. By Peruvian technical standard NTP 211.001, it must rest for at least three months before bottling.
Eight grape varieties are allowed. The non-aromatic grapes are Quebranta, Negra Criolla, Mollar and Uvina. The aromatic grapes are Moscatel, Italia, Torontel and Albilla.
Peru recognizes four types of pisco. Puro uses a single non-aromatic grape and Aromático a single aromatic grape. Mosto Verde is distilled before fermentation finishes, and Acholado is a blend.
The denomination of origin covers the coasts of Lima, Ica, Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna. In Tacna, it covers the Locumba, Sama and Caplina valleys.
The name links to the port of Pisco, and National Pisco Day falls on the fourth Sunday of July. For the full story of grapes, bodegas and distilling, see our complete guide to pisco.
The pisco sour is credited to Victor Vaughen Morris, an American who ran Morris’ Bar in Lima, open 1916 to 1929. The drink was popularized in the 1920s and became the cocktail Peru is best known for.
The classic recipe uses five ingredients:
Shake the pisco, lime juice, syrup and egg white hard with ice, strain into a glass and dot the bitters on the foam. Expect to pay $8 to $12 at a hotel bar or cocktail lounge. Peru celebrates National Pisco Sour Day on the first Saturday of February.
The chilcano is pisco, ginger ale, key lime juice and bitters, served over ice in a highball glass. Its origin is linked to Italian immigrants in Peru in the late 19th century.
Bars often make chilcanos with infused pisco. Look for passion fruit, strawberry, mango or coca versions on the menu.
Chicha de jora is a low-alcohol fermented drink made from germinated yellow corn, called jora. Under the Inca it was a ceremonial drink, served in keros, carved wooden cups. It is still sold in village chicherías.
In Andean villages, a pole with a red flag or a bag outside a house marks a chichería. Before the first sip, locals often make the tinka: they pour a little chicha on the ground as an offering to Pachamama, Mother Earth.
Ask about frutillada, a seasonal version made with strawberries. “Chicha peruana” can mean two drinks, so do not confuse chicha de jora with chicha morada, the purple corn drink with no alcohol. Our 10-day culinary tour visits a traditional chicha de jora brewery in the Sacred Valley.
Most beer sold in Peru comes from one brewer, Backus (Unión de Cervecerías Peruanas Backus y Johnston). Jacob Backus and J. H. Johnston founded it in 1879 in Rímac, Lima. It was part of SABMiller from 2005 and has belonged to AB InBev since 2016.
Cusqueña carries the name of our home city, Cusco. Besides its classic lager, order the darker Cusqueña Negra or the Cusqueña Trigo, a wheat beer.
Cristal and Pilsen Callao are standard Backus lagers, widely sold in shops and restaurants. Backus also makes Maltin Power, a non-alcoholic malt drink.
Several Backus brands carry a regional identity. Arequipeña is tied to Arequipa in the south, Pilsen Trujillo to Trujillo on the north coast, and San Juan to the Amazon. Ask for the local beer when you travel between regions.
Craft brewing has grown in Peru’s cities, especially Lima and Cusco. Small breweries and taprooms offer styles beyond the standard lager. Ask your guide or hotel for the current local favorite, since the scene keeps changing.
For pairing, a cold lager goes well with ceviche and other coastal seafood. A darker Cusqueña Negra suits heartier Andean dishes.
Once you have tried the pisco sour and the chilcano, these are the next pisco drinks to look for.
Pisco Punch mixes pisco with pineapple and citrus, and it became famous in 19th-century San Francisco. Our pisco guide covers the rest of the pisco family.
The algarrobina cocktail mixes pisco with algarrobina, a dark carob-like syrup. The same syrup sweetens the jugo especial sold at market juice stalls.
Many bars use the same fruit-infused piscos from their chilcanos in sours, so ask for a passion fruit or mango pisco sour.
For a guided evening of Peruvian cocktails, the 10-Day Peru Gourmet Tour (from $4,938 per person) includes a private cocktail evening in Cusco. It is a separate itinerary from our 10-day culinary tour, and you can compare both on our Peru culinary tours page.
The best non-alcoholic Peruvian drinks are chicha morada, Inca Kola, mate de coca, emoliente and fresh fruit juices called jugos naturales.
Chicha morada is a non-alcoholic drink made from purple corn boiled with pineapple peel, quince, cinnamon and cloves. It is sweetened and finished with lime and chopped fruit. Peruvians have drunk it since pre-Inca times.
Its deep color comes from the purple corn, which contains anthocyanins. Unlike chicha de jora, the fermented corn drink covered above, chicha morada has no alcohol.
Is Inca Kola alcoholic? No, it is a non-alcoholic soft drink. It is bright yellow and flavored with lemon verbena (hierba luisa), and Americans often compare the taste to bubblegum or cream soda.
The Lindley family opened its bottling plant in Rímac in 1910. Lindley launched Inca Kola in 1935, the year Lima marked its 400th anniversary.
In 1999 Lindley formed an alliance with The Coca-Cola Company, which took a 50% stake in the Inca Kola brand and owns it outside Peru. Arca Continental Lindley bottles it today.
Look out for Kola Inglesa as well, a sweet red Peruvian soda.
Mate de coca is a tea made from coca leaves steeped in hot water. Coca leaf is legal in Peru, where the state company ENACO buys the crop, and the tea is easy to find in Cusco. Many people drink it in the Andes, and our altitude sickness guide explains how to acclimatize.
Two warnings matter for US travelers. One cup of coca tea can produce a positive urine test for cocaine metabolites, so skip it if you face drug testing. Coca leaf is a Schedule II controlled substance in the US, so do not bring coca tea or leaves home.
In Lima, emolienteros sell this hot herbal drink from street-corner carts, especially at breakfast and in the cooler winter months.
The base is toasted barley, horsetail, flaxseed, alfalfa, plantain herb (llantén) and boldo, finished with lime. Variants add cat’s claw, maca, muña, aloe or honey.
Most local markets in Peru have juice stalls that blend fruit to order. Try lúcuma, chirimoya, aguaymanto (goldenberry) and maracuyá (passion fruit), alone or mixed.
For something richer, order a jugo especial, a blended juice sweetened with algarrobina syrup. Sit at the counter, point at the fruit you want and watch it go into the blender.
In the Peruvian Amazon, look first for drinks made from two local fruits: camu camu and aguaje.
Camu camu is an Amazon fruit known for its very high vitamin C content. It is served as a pink refresco or juice.
Aguaje is the fruit of the moriche palm (Mauritia flexuosa). In the Peruvian Amazon it goes into juices, ice creams and a fermented drink.
If your trip includes Iquitos or Puerto Maldonado, try both at a local market or juice stand. For the Amazon dishes to eat alongside them, see the Amazon section of our Peruvian food guide.
Here is what to know about water, altitude, the drinking age and customs.
We recommend bottled or filtered water rather than tap water during your trip. Bottled water costs $1 to $2, and specialty coffee runs $2 to $5. Our guide to the cost of travel in Peru has more prices.
In restaurants, ask whether the ice is made from purified water if you are unsure. For street drinks, choose busy stalls where drinks are made to order.
Cusco sits at high altitude, so go easy on alcohol in your first days there. Skip the second pisco sour on arrival day and drink plenty of water. Our altitude sickness guide explains how to plan your first days.
The legal age to buy or be served alcohol in Peru is 18, under Law 28681 of 2006.
CBP generally allows travelers 21 and over to bring 1 liter of alcohol into the US duty-free. Larger amounts may be subject to duty and state rules, so check cbp.gov before you fly.
Coca is different. Coca leaf is a Schedule II controlled substance in the US, so bringing coca tea or coca leaves home is illegal. Enjoy it in Peru and leave it there.
Many of the best places to try Peruvian drinks are markets, street carts and village chicherías.
For chicha de jora, look for the red flag on a pole outside houses in Sacred Valley villages. For jugos naturales, head to the juice stalls of a local market. For emoliente, find a cart on a Lima street corner at breakfast time.
For pisco sours and chilcanos, hotel bars and cocktail lounges in Lima and Cusco are the reliable choice. For restaurant picks, see our guide to Peruvian gastronomy, and for Japanese-Peruvian cooking, our list of the best Nikkei restaurants in Peru.
If you travel for food and drink, our Peru culinary tours build those experiences into the itinerary. All of our culinary tours are private. Prices are in USD per person in double or triple occupancy, with flights not included.
The 10-day Peru culinary tour starts from $3,989 per person. On day 2 you visit pisco bodegas in Lima, then try ceviche, causa and a pisco sour at a restaurant.
On day 6 you visit a traditional chicha de jora brewery in the Sacred Valley and share a pachamanca. On day 8 you tour cacao and coffee farms in Huayopata.
The 8-day Peru culinary tour (from $2,499 per person) includes a pisco and coffee tasting with a pachamanca lunch on day 5. It also includes a hands-on ceviche class on day 2.
If drinks are not your priority, the 7-day culinary Peru tour (from $2,399 per person) is a shorter, food-focused option. It includes a Lima food tour with market and tasting stops.
Want a trip built around your own list of drinks and dishes? We can design one with you through our customized tours.
Pisco is the national drink of Peru, and the pisco sour is the national cocktail. Pisco is a grape brandy distilled in pot stills on Peru’s coast, from Lima south to Tacna. It has been part of Peru’s National Cultural Heritage since 1988, and National Pisco Day falls on the fourth Sunday of July.
The most popular drinks in Peru are the pisco sour, the chilcano, Peruvian beer and Inca Kola. Chicha morada, chicha de jora and mate de coca are also widely drunk.
No, Inca Kola is a non-alcoholic soft drink. It is a yellow soda flavored with lemon verbena, and Americans often compare the taste to bubblegum or cream soda. Coca-Cola owns the brand outside Peru, and Arca Continental Lindley bottles it.
The best non-alcoholic Peruvian drinks are chicha morada, Inca Kola, mate de coca, emoliente and fresh fruit juices called jugos naturales. In the Amazon, try camu camu and aguaje juices too.
Most beer sold in Peru comes from Backus, including Cristal, Pilsen Callao and Cusqueña. Regional brands include Arequipeña, San Juan and Pilsen Trujillo, and craft brewing has grown in cities such as Lima and Cusco.
It depends on the chicha. Chicha morada, made from purple corn, has no alcohol, while chicha de jora is a low-alcohol fermented corn drink sold in Andean chicherías. A pole with a red flag or a bag outside a house marks a chichería.
No, coca leaf is a Schedule II controlled substance in the US, so bringing coca tea or leaves home is illegal. Coca tea is legal in Peru, but one cup can also produce a positive urine test for cocaine metabolites.
Both Peru and Chile make pisco and claim pisco and the pisco sour as their own. Peruvian pisco is distilled once, with no water added and no wood aging, which gives it a different style from Chilean pisco.
Yes, CBP generally allows travelers 21 and over to bring 1 liter of alcohol into the US duty-free. Larger amounts may be subject to duty and state rules, so check cbp.gov before you fly.
The legal age to buy or be served alcohol in Peru is 18, under Law 28681 of 2006. To bring alcohol back to the US duty-free, CBP generally requires travelers to be 21 or over.
M G3 December, 2023 at 4:55 pm
Una de las mejores cocinas del mundo no puede dejar de tener una lista tan interesante culturalmente de bebidas. GRACIAS PERU. Uno de los mejores destinos para el turismo mundial desde lejos y por siempre…
Luis Angel10 December, 2021 at 10:20 am
Hola a mi me gusta la chicha de jora a base de maíz y además la de siete semillas excelente bebida
Oliver from Exploor25 December, 2021 at 12:44 pm
Hola Luis! La chicha de jora es otra excelente bebida, tienes toda la razón! Saludos y feliz navidad 🙂
Sandro29 August, 2021 at 6:43 pm
Muy buena información, muchas gracias por compartirla. Mi trago favorito es el Pisco Sour, SAludos desde Surco
Exploor Peru6 September, 2021 at 9:24 pm
Hola Sandro, qué tal? Gracias por tu comentario. Nos alegra que te guste la info 🙂 Por cierto, nos encanta el Pisco Sour también! Saludos, tu equipo Exploor
Rocío4 August, 2021 at 2:50 pm
Excelente sin duda alguna el Perú es buen lugar para visitar y degustar de su basta gastronomía, cultura, tradiciones, música y folklore…