Pisco time

I've had a good, long kip. Which is exactly what I needed. About nine I traipse downstairs for breakfast.

It's not a bad buffet. And I get two fried eggs. Along with some ham and cheese. Followed by fruit, obviously. I'm so health conscious.

A breakfast of ham,cheese and fried eggs

Chris is due to pick me up at noon. But he messages me to say he's going to be a bit late. No problem. I can just chill in my room for longer.

Then I remember: last time I only took a couple of photos of Concha y Toro. I spend a few minutes snapping the beautiful houses.

Houses on Concha y Toro

The sun shines down on us as we race through the countryside, the snow-tipped Andes to our left. We're headed to Pirque, where Tübinger, Chris's brewery, is located. It really is a lovely day. The sun shines, the snow on the mountains gleams.

Pirque is a pretty little town, which lives up to its name. Being derived from the indigenous word for a type of large round rock found locally. It’s much used as a building material in the town.

I first met Chris in 2017, on my first trip to South America, judging Copa Cervezas de America in Santiago. We’ve since become good mates, bumping into each other several times in Brazil. On that first trip, he drove me and some fellow judges out to his brewery for a barbecue.

Tübinger taproom and my mate Chris Flaskamp

It’s changed quite a bit since then. There's now a rather swish circular taproom. Where I kick off with a pint of Haka Mau, an IPA with New Zealand hops. It's rather nice.

After a quick tour of the brewhouse, we take seats on the patio and Chris gets me samplers of twelve beers. Pretty much his full draught range.

After some beer we get food. I plump for ceviche. Because, well, you can't go wrong with ceviche. Which turns out to be the case. It’s rather tasty.

Tübinger beer garden with mountains

It really is idyllic out here. Children play happily in the beer garden, with the icing-sugar dusted Andes towering behind them like a monstrous cake. While their parents sip beer in the shade. Everyone breathing in the pure mountain air.

I could happily sit here until nightfall. Sadly, we need to get back to Santiago. Chris drops me off at my hotel. Where I rest up for a while.

Chris returns a couple of hours later to pick me and Pete Slosberg up. To take us to tonight's destination: Républica Independiente del Pisco (the Independent Republic of Pisco).

"You're going to love it." Chris tells me. I’m sure he’s right. Being well aware of my liking for pisco sour from my first time in Santiago.

It's a cool but traditional-looking bar. Just my sort of place.

"Shall we get some flights?" Chris suggests. That's fine by me. I want to be flying as soon as possible.

Pisco heaven

We get three flights of three: Peruvian, unaged Chilean and aged Chilean. We start with the first. They are surprisingly different. I think down to the grape varieties used. And pretty tasty, despite having no age on them. Fruity, is, I think, the best description.

Next, it's the turn of the unaged Chileans. Though two of them do have a year or so of oak ageing. Again, all three are quite different and slip down nicely.

The last flight consists of two six-year-olds and one ten-year-old. All I can say is wow. The six-years are pretty damn tasty. But the ten-year is just wonderful.

Pete initially says he only wants a small taste of each. And I can finish all the samples off.  Which I would happily do to help him out. The lying bastard. Once he gets a taste for them, I don't get a look in. Especially with the barrel aged ones. He does let me finish a couple of the unaged ones. Thanks, Pete.

prawn, passion fruit and pisco

We get two plates of prawns with passion fruit to nibble on while we sip. A good little snack.

I have a pisco sour with green chili to finish. Warming against the cold night.

What an excellent choice this was of Chris. I think I'll be taking home a bottle of pisco for Andrew. And the evening was pretty good value. The food and pisco came to about 23 euros each. A bargain, I say.

Chris gets me and Pete an Uber, as we're staying at the same hotel.

A couple of shots of my hotel whisky soon have me racing to the land of nod.



Tübinger Taproom
C. Nueva 6a.
9480000 Pirque,
Region Metropolitana.
https://www.cervezatubinger.cl/


Chipe Libre - Républica Independiente del Pisco
José Victorino Lastarria 282,
8320165 Santiago,
Región Metropolitana.
https://www.chipe-libre.cl/