The Spirit of Brazil

On 13th September, I celebrated what is, The Brazilian Embassy informed us, National Cachaça Day at Langhams Hotel. Cachaça is the country’s 400-year-old national drink that has only recently been propelled onto the world stage. Walk into pretty much any good cocktail bar in the world and you will find Caipirinhas – that classic mix of cachaça, lime, sugar and ice on the menu. This unique spirit that is as much a part of Brazil’s culture as carnival and football, today is – believe it or not – the world’s third most popular spirit.

During the afternoon tasting, we were presented with 16 cocktails, followed by neat samples. That is a lot to get through and I nearly didn't manage it. Luckily I was there with my wine writer friend, Stuart George, who I met on a wine tasting trip in Brazil last year arranged by the embassy. Stuart, who is a consummate professional, managed to get through all these drinks, continuing to make thorough tasting notes all the way through. Read his brilliant blog about the event.

When Brazilians order a Caipirinha they tend to share it between four. This makes sense to me as I reckon they are quadruple the strength of drinks in the UK. My favourite is a version 'de maracuyá' (with fresh passionfruit). At Langhams, the Bossa people made a good version, calling it a Bossa Passion. Velho Barreiro, who have been going since 1873, came up with O Draque, a 400 year old cocktail that is the precusor to the mojito, which was fresh, rustic and classic.

I have a confession to make and its one that gets most Brazilian's eyes rolling. I like the dirty cachaças, like 51, drunk by people on the street, rather than in the shiny cocktail bars of Rio. Cachaça is known as aguardente ('firewater') for a reason. Arrebenta peito (chest smasher), assovio de cobra (snake’s whistle) are some other wonderfully descriptive alternatives. But I also like the smooth cachaças made for the American market.

Leblon presented us with a cashew nut batida (a kind of Brazilian alcoholic milkshake) that was smooth, lively and not too sweet. I have a soft spot for the people from Leblon because one of their representatives took me out on a charming cocktail tour when I was last in Rio. It doesn't surprise me that during New York's Fashion Week, models were drinking Leblon's very own strawberry and basil caiprinhas at designer Diane von Fürstenberg’s event. Leblon's website, particularly the 'Daily Muddle', is a great read, with a beautiful soundtrack. I just lost myself in Luisa Maita and Forro in the Dark.
Although cachaça is often compared to rum, this really is a misnomer. Both spirits are made from sugar cane, but this is where the similarity ends. Cachaça is made from fresh sugar cane juice, rather than molasses (a derivative of sugar cane) and is altogether sweeter and fresher tasting than rum. More people seem to be discovering that cachaça can be appreciated in the same way as a good whiskey or a top shelf tequila and not just in a cocktail.

Amber Nectar and How to Order a Beer In Australia

It’s no secret that Australians love their beer. One joke runs that a seven-course meal in Australia is a pie and a six-pack. But you might be surprised to learn that they drink less per capita than the British, Czechs, Germans, Irish and Belgians, and the increasing popularity of wine and other drinks has caused beer consumption to fall.

The two Foster brothers, Ralph and William, were the first to come up with the idea of selling cold beer in Australia in 1888. Until lager arrived, the national brews were ales and stouts conditioned in the cask or bottle. The most well-known beers in Australia lagers are made lighter and cheaper with cane sugar, rather than rice, as in America or maize, as in Britain.

The great Aussie drink is a "tinnie" (can) of beer, which some seem to drink as if it were water. It is crucial that the beer is as cold as possible and the further you go into the interior – where the hotter it is – the more extreme the obsession becomes, so that by the time you get to Alice Springs you are given an iced can from the fridge in a ‘stubby holder’ so the heat from your hands doesn’t warm your drink and in Darwin the beer is served in an ice bucket.

Most brands have about 4.8% alcohol but "light" beers are widely available, with less than 3% alcohol.

A word of warning: don’t criticise an Australian beer unless comparing it to another kind of Australian beer. Fosters is the brand most internationally known and actually the third most available beer in the world, sold in over 130 countries. But most Australians would never touch the stuff, tending to prefer beers produced in their own state.

One of the most popular beers is Victoria Bitter – which is actually a lager and known as ‘VB’ – ask for it by its full name and your bar man is likely to fall on the floor laughing. Logically enough, this is most commonly drunk in Melbourne and the state of Victoria, although some say this is one of the worst kinds of Australian beers and too weak to drink. If the rumours are true, actor Russell Crowe flies cases of Victoria Bitter into the film set wherever in the world he is working.

In New South Wales, Tooheys (new or old) is the local brew while XXXX, or Fourex, is the beer of choice up in Queensland. It has been drunk there since 1924, but is still hard to find outside of the state border. Coopers and West End are brewed in South Australia, although Coopers has found its way to the East Coast. In Western Australia, they drink Swan Lager and Emu bitter, and in the Northern Territory NT Lager.

There’s no such thing as a pint (except in Tasmania) or a half in Australian bars, and to make matters even more confusing there are enormous variations between the states when it comes to ordering the size of your beer. If in doubt, just ask for your preferred brew and let the bar person prompt you on the measure.

In New South Wales a middie (285 ml) is roughly half a pint and a schooner (425 ml) a pint.

In Victoria they only drink pots (285 ml).

Tasmanian bars serve tens (285 ml) and pints (425 ml).

Queenslanders drink pots (285 ml) and schooners.

In South Australia ask for a pony (142 ml), a Butcher (200 ml), a Schooner (285 ml), or a pint (425 ml).

Measures in Western Australia are a bobby (200 ml), a glass (285 ml), or a pot (425 ml).

And in the Northern Territory a six is 200 ml, a seven 285 ml and a handle 425 ml.

This text appeared in my book, Living and Working in Australia, published by The Sunday Times.