For those still barbecuing, here’s a South American cocktail that’s ideal for serving with grilled food. 

This recipe comes from Sebastian Cortez, of Sebastian and Co. Fine Meats, which opened its first location in West Vancouver in 2007, followed by a second location in Downtown Vancouver this year. 

“Asado is a term used to describe not only a style of barbecuing meat, but also the social event of having or attending a barbecue in South America,” Cortez says. “It is about so much more than just the food—it’s the merry engagement all the guests have with the cooking process, as they gather around the charcoal, drinking cocktails or red wine, watching the host carefully tend to the grilled meats, salting and constantly flipping.

“Other guests may gather in the kitchen as they chop and dice for the salads and salsas. The communal spirit of an asado brings people together as they interact with food, wine, and most importantly, each other.

“When guests arrive for an asado, they are typically greeted with a Pisco Sour, served in a chilled champagne flute. This refreshing cocktail pairs perfectly with asado-grilled foods like meats, poultry, fish, tofu, burgers, vegetables, stone fruits, and more.”

Pisco Sour

Ingredients
2 oz pisco (preferably Capel or Gobernador)
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1⁄2 oz simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water—boiled and then cooled)
1 fresh egg white

Instructions
Fill cocktail shaker with ice.
Pour in pisco, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white.
Shake vigorously for 60 seconds.
Pour into a chilled flute or highball glass.
Add 3 to 5 drops of bitters on top of the foamy drink for aromatics.