Pisco La Serena Distillery

Destilería La Serena

A traditional pisco distillery offering tours and tastings of Chile's famous grape brandy. Visitors can learn the production process and sample different pisco varieties in an authentic setting.

Things to do

• Distillery Production Tour — Walk through the copper stills and fermentation tanks to see how pisco is made from muscat and other grape varieties, guided by knowledgeable staff explaining each stage of distillation.
• Pisco Tasting Room Experience — Sample 3–5 different pisco varieties ranging from clear to aged expressions, learning to identify flavor notes and regional differences between Elqui Valley and Choapa Valley piscos.
• Vineyard Grounds Walk — Stroll through the distillery's surrounding vineyards in the Coquimbo region to see the muscat and pedro jiménez grape varieties that supply the facility.
• Blending Workshop — Participate in a guided session where you create your own pisco blend by mixing base spirits under expert direction, then bottle and label your custom creation to take home.
• Gift Shop & Bottling Area Visit — Browse artisanal pisco bottles, local crafts, and distillery merchandise while observing the manual bottling and labeling process in action.
• Cocktail Preparation Class — Learn to make traditional Chilean pisco cocktails such as pisco sour with fresh lime juice, egg white, and bitters, taught by the distillery's bar staff.

Food to try

• Empanadas de Queso y Mariscos — Baked pastry pockets filled with local cheese and fresh seafood from the nearby Pacific coast, often served warm at the distillery's café.
• Ceviche Coquimbano — Fresh fish cured in lime juice with cilantro, onion, and ají peppers, reflecting the coastal tradition of Coquimbo and frequently paired with pisco tastings.
• Pastel de Choclo — A savory corn pie layered with ground beef, olives, and hard-boiled egg, topped with fresh corn paste, a classic Chilean comfort dish available at on-site dining.
• Pan de Queso — Cheese bread baked fresh daily and served warm with butter, a light accompaniment to pisco tastings that enhances the spirit's subtle flavors.
• Pisco Sour Tasting Menu Pairing — A curated selection of regional appetizers—olives, nuts, dried fruits—designed to complement the distillery's signature pisco sour cocktail.

Local customs & good to know

• Pisco Ownership Pride — Chileans take pisco seriously as a national spirit with protected designation of origin; show genuine interest in understanding the local production methods and regional pride around Coquimbo pisco.
• Spanish-Language Courtesy — While tour guides may speak English, learning a few Spanish phrases and greeting staff in Spanish is appreciated and enhances the authentic distillery experience.
• Midday Meal Tradition — The main meal is eaten around 1–2 PM; plan your distillery visit accordingly, as some tastings or tours may align better with late morning or late afternoon scheduling around Chilean dining customs.
• Respectful Tasting Etiquette — Pace yourself during pisco tastings and accept water and food offerings between samples; over-indulging quickly is seen as disrespectful to the craft and the distillery's hospitality.