NOLADrinks Show – 11-12-18 – Lizzie Asher of Macchu Pisco

On this week’s The NOLADrinks Show with Bryan Dias, we welcome Lizzie Asher of Macchu Pisco. Lizzie is one half of the sibling duo, along with sister Melanie, that runs this fine Pisco brand. We talk about the spirit, the culture around it, and their story. We also discuss issues regarding sustainability and her insight into being a woman in the Pisco world.

Pictured above – Melanie Asher, second from left, and Lizzie Asher, third from left, of Macchu Pisco.

NOLADrinks Show – 11-12-18 – Lizzie Asher of Macchu Pisco

We kick things off, briefly, talking about this week’s show and letting you know about a few upcoming shows to look for in the coming weeks.

Next up, we get to our featured interview with Lizzie Asher of Macchu Pisco. Lizzie and her sister, Melanie, run the company and it’s truly a family affair. Lizzie handles much of the business side and resides in New York. Melanie is the master distiller and splits here time between New York and their production operation in Peru.

We talk about Pisco – starting out with a quick overview of the styles and grapes used and a bit on its production. We also talk about their story and how they got involved in Pisco production. We discuss the role that various family members have played in the company.

Throughout much of the show, we taste and chat about two of their products. First, we sample the Macchu Pisco “Puro,” which is a single-varietal expression (using the quebranta grape). Then, we explore their “acholado” (a blend), called La Diablada that utilizes four varietals. We talk about the interesting stories behind these labels, how Melanie blends the acholado, and much more!

Lizzie sticks around for our podcast-only portion of the show – “Another Shot with NOLADrinks” – where we talk further about the Piscos they make, issues connected to cultural and sustainability in their operation (and Pisco production, in general), and get some insight on being women in the industry.

Closing things out, we have our “Parting Shot” where we talk about the human component to “terroir” and make some connections to Pisco and Mezcal.

You can subscribe to, stream, and download The NOLADrinks Show podcast using the player and links at the top of this post. 

Cheers, You All!

~ Bryan