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.
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