The Elquí Valley, about 470 kilometres north of Santiago, is known for its immense vineyards and blue skies – offering 360 days of sunshine per year. The Diaguitas, the original inhabitants, were known to irrigate the fields of this dry valley to optimize agriculture and with the arrival of the Spanish started the development of what was to become Chile’s national drink: Pisco Sour.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that pisco started to be produced on a large scale. The number of pisco distilleries grew as did modern technology. Some of these pisco distilleries are open to visitors; the Planta Capel Cooperative is one of them.
In 1938, a long journey of 25 partners began in the valleys of the IV region, united by a common dream, to build the Capel Cooperative.
Capel, the only pisco made by an association of more than 1,000 owners, 1,000 united farmers. Where each one is a vote in the cooperative, where it does not matter if you have one hectare or one hundred, where the treatment is equal.
We are turning 80 and writing history again. We are more than a thousand farmers united, more than a thousand owners creating a unique and quality Double Distilled Pisco. This story is a reflection of the effort and passion that our collaborators pour day by day who dream of bringing solidarity pisco from Chile to the world.
Distilling the liquid produces an alcohol of 85%. The alcohol comes in several qualities called “corazon” [the best], “cola” [waste] and “cabeza” [which will be distilled a second time]. The alcohol is subsequently kept in oak barrels, varying from five months to two years, until a perfect pisco puro has been obtained. The product has an alcohol percentage of about 35-40.
