PlanetEye
Travel Beyond Words
December 7, 2007
Caipirinhas and Cachaça, vol. 2
- Brendan
- The Global Nomad
Like cane liquor around the world, Brazil’s cachaça comes in all strengths and qualities, depending on the goals and skill of the distiller.
In my extensive research I have identified three main varieties:
1) Fine crafted, barrel-aged to a mellow smoothness. A pleasure to drink, high-grade cachaça comes in beautiful bottles and packaging, and each has its own unique character like a single malt scotch or high-grade tequila. Drink neat. This was the kind my house guest and his drunk friends quaffed back one night without realising they couldn’t just nip down to the liquor store to replace the bottle.
2) Nice, drinkable and reasonably smooth. Your everyday cachaça (if that’s your style). Typically these are best mixed, especially in a Caipirinha. (see earlier post)
3) OH GOD IT BURNS!! Best saved as a backup fuel for running the engine of your fishing boat, or say, removing unwanted skin.
I recommend either 1 or 2. Oh, and for the record, although they are similar, rum is made from sugar cane molasses, whereas cachaça is made from pure sugar cane juice, among other subtle differences.
