Cachaça, Brazil’s rebel spirit

A progenitor of Rum, this distilled spirit still struggles to establish itself except when it comes to cocktails. 

Rum has a mother. A mother of humble origins, often repudiated or kept in the dark while its “son” became known worldwide in the glasses of European colonialists. Its name is Cachaça and it is Brazil’s national spirit. By law, Brazil is the only producer that can use this name for this distillate made from fresh, fermented sugarcane juice (aguardente de cana) . It is for this reason that it is considered to be the forefather of Rum, which is instead made with molasses made from boiled sugarcane juice, and, in particular, Rhum Agricole, which is also distilled from fresh sugarcane juice, but not exclusively as with Cachaça, and the final product can have an alcoholic content of up to 70%, compared to 48% for the Brazilian spirit.

History 

It was in the first half of the 16th century  (1532-1548) that at the sugar plantations set up by the Portuguese colonialists in São Vicente (today the state of São Paulo) the caipira, Brazilian farmer workers whose name was adopted for the celebrated cocktail Caipirinha, discovered that the juice of the sugarcane left after harvest, after undergoing alcoholic fermentation, became a pleasing and slightly frothy drink , which they called cagaça (froth). Initially, it was a kind of cana-de-açúcar wine that was opportunely filtered to then be consumed while working in the fields. It was only in the 17th century that it was distilled into a spirit , by the Dutch who put the ‘wine’ through their alembic stills and introduced it to the Americas. After being kicked out of Brazil by the Portuguese, the Dutch settlers moved to the Caribbean from where, using their economic power within the West India Company, they produced Rum which went to have a greater success in the Old World than Cachaça.

The Brazilian distillate was further penalized on European markets by the fact that, during the same period, aguardente de cana became the symbol of the slave revolt  against Portuguese domination that took place in many plantations in the state of Minas Gerais. For this reason, in 1639 and again in 1743, authorities in Bahia banned its production. Nevertheless, by 1808, aguardente de cana, which also known as Cainha and Cachaça, had become one of Brazil’s leading agricultural products. It was officially referred to as a rum up until 2003 when the name Cachaça was adopted exclusively for the for the aguardente de cana produced in Brazil.

Facts and Figures 

Today over 1.3 billion liters of Cachaça are produced a year , although unofficial sources says as much as three billion. Even if there are some 5,000 brands of the spirit, “only” ten million liters are exported (above all to Germany that represent 20% of its market), while the rest remains in Brazil to satisfy domestic demand. According to Drink International, in 2014, 44.4 million cases of Cachaça were sold making it the sixth most consumed alcoholic beverage  in the world , more precisely between Brandy (57.2 million) and Gin (33.3 million).

Aside from the commercial rivalry between conquistadores and the aversion created by its identification as the drink of rebels, there were other reasons why Cachaça exports were limited, one being its bottle which for a long time did not meet the standard sizes on leading markets (0.60.-0.67l compared to 0.70l in western countries. This meant that only a few brands were exported, mostly those with a lower commercial profile.

Production 

Cachaça is either craft or industrially made with great differences in regard both to processing and, above all, the organoleptic profile of the final product . In craft production  the sugarcane is cut by hand and the juice, the garapa, is extracted within 24 hours after which it is fermented using indigenous yeasts and usually an addition of corn flour or rice brand. In industrial production , on the other hand, the sugarcane is burned in the fields, a process called pre-burning harvest, to eliminate the green part of the plant and only later is the sugarcane collected and the juice extracted. This practice, however, can dry out the plant and create volatile phenols like furfural and hydroxymethyl-furfural which give the distillate smoky odors of toasted almond, dark caramel and burnt bread crust that are not always pleasing.

After fermenting for 48 hours, the juice is filtered and distilled  using in alembic copper stills in a discontinuous cycle for craft production or continuous cycle stills for the industrial brew. The result is a colorless liquid with a very high alcoholic content that is then boiled with the addition of distilled water until the alcohol level is reduced to that set by Brazilian law: 38-48%, with the possibility of adding up to 6.8g/l of sucros. Except for Cachaça nova  (unaged with a brief maturing in stainless steel vats ), the distillate is then aged for a minimum of two years (and a maximum of 12), if it is to be labeled as Envelhecidoa , in barrels of up to 700l in size  made from oak or other indigenous Brazilian wood like Carvalho francís and brasileiro, Bálsamo ou cabreúva, Ipê amarelo, Amburana, Louro freijó and Castanheira do Pará that give the final product its distinct characteristics.

Opinion 

In a sector that has rediscovered its curiosity for flavor and been finally emancipated (at times too much) from the yoke of standardized long drinks, what does Cachaça need today to definitively take its place in the world of mixology? We asked Leonardo Pinto, the founder and director of ShowRUM  (www.showrum.it), an event dedicated to distillates that has seen five editions in Rome.

“The fact that the term Rum is applied to the products of many countries, Cachaça refers only to the one made in Brazil and this has hindered its expansion. For this reason both Isla de Rum and ShowRUM have made a concerted effort to explain that Rum and Cachaça belong to the same family of spirits. I personally like the Brazilian one and believe that the culture of Cachaça is equal to that of rum also in regard to value. It is my hope that ShowRUM will contribute to giving greater visibility to Cachaça but not as a side attraction at a trade fair dedicated to rum but as an integral and equal part of it. Preconceptions  based on an incorrect knowledge about Cachaça as well as superficial information  available about it are certainly among the reasons this spirit continues to have difficult establishing itself. For this reason I believe that the recipes that exist today in the world of bartending will first of all help those in the trade, ahead of consumers, to understand the true identity and nuances of this distillate”.

After tasting the Cachaça offered at ShowRUM, we decided to challenge some top barmen to come up with a recipe using Cachaça . Here are the results.

L'opinione

Ma in un settore che ha ormai ritrovato curiosità e gusto e si è finalmente emancipato (a volte anche troppo) dal vincolo di long drink standardizzati, cosa manca ancora oggi alla Cachaça per permetterle di prendere definitivamente piede nel mondo del bere miscelato? Lo abbiamo chiesto a Leonardo Pinto, direttore e fondatore di ShowRUM (www.showrum.it), la manifestazione dedicata al celebre distillato che si tiene da cinque edizioni a Roma.

«Sicuramente il fatto che il termine Rum accomuni tutti i paesi produttori, mentre la parola Cachaça sia legata al solo Brasile, ha creato un divario nel “passo” di crescita, motivo per il quale sia nell’attività di Isla de Rum che a ShowRUM, si sta cercando di comunicare il Rum e la Cachaça come una famiglia di distillati unica. Personalmente mi piace questo distillato e credo nella cultura della Cachaça al pari di quanto credo nel valore e nella cultura del Rum. Per questo mi auguro che a ShowRUM ci possa essere sempre più spazio per la Cachaça, ma non come elemento di contorno in una fiera dedicata al Rum, bensì come parte integrante e paritetica di questa. Eppure, preconcetti dati da una conoscenza sbagliata sulla Cachaça oltre che una divulgazione superficiale sono stati sicuramente i principali motivi per cui tale distillato fa ancora oggi fatica ad affermarsi. In tal senso, credo che le ricette prodotte oggi dall’estro del mondo del bartending possano aiutare il mercato del trade, ancor prima del grande pubblico, a comprendere la vera identità e le sfaccettature di questo distillato».

Il guanto di sfida è lanciato. Per questo dopo aver assaggiato le Cachaça presenti a Showrum abbiamo voluto mettere alla prova i barman ambassador chiedendo loro di ideare una ricetta con la Cachaça. Ed ecco i risultati.

Tastings and Cocktail recipes 

PRODUCER: Avuá Cachaça Brasil (www.avuacachaca.com.br) - Importer: Ghilardi Selezioni

Avuá Cachaça Prata 

Cachaça nova that has a crystalline look to it. The bouquet opens with intense aromas of fresh cane sugar, vegetal and wild flower scents and notes of quince apple gelatin and almond. The mouthfeel is dry, discreetly balanced and has a warm finish with a persistent fruity, floral and nutty aftertaste. Alcohol content 43%.

Avuá Cachaça Amburana 

Craft Cachaça aged for two years in Amburana wood barrels. It has a crystalline, straw-yellow color and a complex aroma that ranges from notes of lime and candied cherry to sweet spice (nutmeg and cloves) to honey to almond paste. The mouthfeel is dry and rounded with an excellent alcohol balance and a clear and pleasant aftertaste of almond-paste cookies with candied cherries. Alcohol content 40%

The cocktail:

Nate Whitehouse, barman and co-founder of the Avuá estate, suggests using Cachaça Amburana to prepare a Pan Am  with Dry Curaçao and Dry Vermouth to exalt the fruity notes making this an ideal drink for an aperitif.

PRODUCER: Leblon (www.leblon.com) - Importer: Martini & Rossi

The cocktail: 

Nate Whitehouse, barman e co-founder dell’azienda Avuá, suggerisce di utilizzare la Cachaça Amburana nella preparazione di un Pan Am con Dry Curaçao e Dry Vermouth, per sfruttarne le note fruttate, che la rendono ideale in un drink da aperitivo.

PRODUCER : Leblon (www.leblon.com) - Importatore: Martini & Rossi

Leblon  Cachaça 

Carft Cachaça aged for six months in barrels previously used for Cognac XO. It has a bright color and an intense aroma that leans towards grassy notes of sugarcane and fresh and floral ones of magnolia and gorse with hints of lime. The mouthfeel is soft with a good alcohol balance and a broad ad persistent finish with sensations of licorice and flowers. Alcohol content: 40%.

The cocktail: 

Gian Paolo Di Pierro, the barman at club Derrière (Via della Coppelle, 59 Rome 00186), proposed a Leblon James made with the addition of an infusion of licorice, crushed lime, star anise aromatized honey and coffee soda, which counterbalance the sweet notes that recall licorice.

PRODUCER: Sagatiba (www.sagatiba.com) - Importer: Campari Group

Sagatiba  Cachaça Premium 

Industrial and unaged Cachaça that has a bright color. The distinct bouquet has immediate smoky sensations which slowly make way for those of citronella, magnolia flowers and more delicate scents of pear and star fruit in the background. The flavor is consistent with the aroma with a good alcohol level and a slightly smoky finish. Alcohol content: 38%.

The cocktail: 

Paolo Antonico, barman at Azienda Cucineria – Circolo degli Illuminati (Via Giuseppe Libetta, 3, 00154 Rome) proposed a Caipirinha rivisitata  which uses the pulp of fresh passion fruit to bring out the citrusy and exotic sensations.

PRODUCER: Magnífica di Faria (www.cachacamagnifica.com) - Importer: Compagnia dei Caraibi

Magnífica Cachaça Tradicional 

Craft-made and aged for two years in Ipé-wood barrels. The distillate has a bright yet tenuous straw-yellow color and aromas of fresh sugarcane and pickled olives followed by floral and citrusy hints. The mouthfeel is intense with a balanced alcohol component and a lovely organoleptic complexity with a long and distinct aftertaste of licorice and celery. Alcohol content: 40%

Magnífica Cachaça Envelhecida 

Craft-made and aged from two to six years in barrels of American oak previously used to age Single Malt Whiskey. This has a clear and bright amber color with a very intense aroma distinguished by smoky and toasted scents of Kentucky tobacco and dark spice together with “sweeter” notes of vanilla and incense. The mouthfeel is consistent with a pronounced alcoholic backbone and distinct smoky sensations. Alcohol content: 43%.

Magnífica Cachaça Reserva Soleira 

Craft-made and aged for ten years in barrels of American oak previously used to age Single Malt Whiskey. The color is dark and bright and the bouquet wrapping and “sweet” with notes of caramel, vanilla and sweet tobacco with smoky and woody hits. The mouthfeel is soft, elegant and perfectly in balance with its alcoholic verve while the aftertaste has intense sensations of sugarcane. Alcohol content. 43%.

The cocktail: 

Mariano Cleri, barman at Fuoco – Bere – Dolce – Salato (Via Cicerone, 34, 00193 Rome) suggested using Magnífica Cachaça Tradicional to replace the Vodka in a Bloody Mary to complement its grassy and vegetal character.