Cachaca (ka SHA sa) is made from the sugar-cane plant, like rum, and is the most popular alcoholic beverage in Brazil. Makes the delicious Caipirinha cocktail.
About Cachaca.
Pronounced ka-sha-sah. Cachaca is Brazil's national spirit and is made using the sugar-cane plant, like rum but with a major difference.
Rum is made from molasses, a by-product from refineries that boil the cane juice to extract as much sugar crystals as possible, whereas Cachaca is made from fresh sugar cane juice that's then fermented and distilled.
Some producers age their cachaca in American oak barrels and are more refined enjoyed sipped over ice like a fine whisky or tequila and have earthy flavours of cinnamon, oak and balsam with some fetching hundreds of pounds!
Origins.
Cachaca's origins date back over four-hundred years to when sugar plantations were first established and the spirit given to the workers to increase their output. Over time the distillers perfected their craft and its popularity soared throughout Brazil. Slavery was banned in Brazil in 1888 and a national pride for their sugar industry ensued. By the 1920's Cachaca became an integral part of the Brazilian culture.
Until fairly recently, the only Cachaca available were some of Brazil's most ordinary, that was until exports flourished, bartenders experimented, and the famous Caipirinha cocktail became a staple in bars throughout the world.
The Caipirinha Cocktail.
A fresh and exotic drink made by muddling limes in a glass, then add a couple of teaspoons of sugar, before adding a healthy measure of cachaca.
