Encanto Pisco, started in 2010, is a brand made “from the heart” by three seasoned industry friends: award-winning distiller Carlos Ruben Romero-Gamero, bar owner Duggan McDonnell, and sommelier Walter Moore. The three men first met at McDonnell’s bar, Cantina, in San Francisco and with their knowledge in various aspects of the business (distillation, cocktail creation and wholesale), they created Encanto Pisco. Moore first experienced pisco in Peru in 2009. “I had already begun to do some consulting with spirits brands, but hadn’t yet experienced pisco. It was a revelation for me. I wanted to get my hands into pisco and the beautiful grapes behind it.”

Pisco, a grape brandy made in Peru (and Chile), has a long history with San Francisco. Beginning in the mid-1800s, it was the spirit that fueled the Gold Rush as it arrived on ships from South America that were bringing labor and supplies. Pisco can be made from eight designated grapes. Once the wine is made, it is distilled to make a brandy using the solera system, as with sherry, and then the blending takes place. It is Encanto Pisco’s goal to make the best handcrafted artisanal pisco. Through long-standing relationships with growers and a detailed focus on the winemaking process, distillation and blending, every step of the process is hands-on. The result is a smooth, terroir-driven product.“As a sommelier, I wanted something sippable,” says Moore. “And as a bartender, Duggan wanted something mixable. Carlos wanted something brilliant that reflected his 32 years of experience as a distiller.”

Below, we chat with Moore about the building of the brand.

Foodable: How did you know it was time to quit your day job and pursue spirits? 

Walter Moore: Making the shift to founding a spirits brand was a natural progression for me. I had actually been working with spirits as part of my day job for some time, which is where I really started to get the spirits bug. My last “day job” was as a Regional Sales Manager for wine and spirits importer Winebow. At the time, Winebow was really expanding its fine spirits portfolio, so I had the opportunity to work with some great brands along with Spanish and Italian wines. A game changer for me was a trip to Scotland’s Bruichladdich Distillery on Islay with a group of bartenders. This was the moment when I really connected with spirits truly having a sense of place — that the people who craft spirits are part of the true definition of terroir. And that blending spirits — like wine — is a true art.  As a trained sommelier and wine educator, these concepts were second nature to me with wine, but not obvious with spirits. I was hooked.

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