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Cachaça, The Brazilian Spirit
What exactly is Cachaça? - If Mexico has tequila, America has bourbon, and Russia has vodka, then cachaça is the spirit of Brazil. Cachaça is a spicy, sweet and fruity clear liquor distilled from fermented sugarcane juice, must be, by law, produced in Brazil and must contain alcohol by volume of 38% to 54%.
The country’s first sugarcane mills date back to the discovery of Brazilian territory in 1500. Cachaça was a despised residue of sugarcane and used by slaves to prepare a regional food. The planters began to recommend the use of cachaça as a way for slaves to better assimilate the hard and long work in the production of sugar cane. Since then the cachaça market has continued to evolve and the spirit’s quality has improved.
Cachaça is a drink of great cultural, social and economic importance for Brazil, and is directly related to the beginning of the Portuguese colonization of the country and to the sugar industry. Cachaça is best known for its use in caipirinhas (a traditional drink made by a mix of cachaça, lime juice, sugar and ice). The modern pop culture regularly creates new versions of cachaça using exotic fruits and sweet extras such as condensed milk.
Cachaça is conventionally clear; however, cachaças with golden hues do exist, darkened with a caramel coloring to show it is an aged cachaça. The aging of cachaça is a practice that modifies the chemical and sensory quality of the drink, adds colors, flavors and distinguished aromas. To be considered an aged cachaça, at least 50% of the contents must mature for at least one year. Very dark cachaça usually ages for three or more years.
Over time the drink was perfected, being filtered and then distilled, being much appreciated in cold times. The process of fermentation with corn meal goes back to the beginnings of the birth of cachaça and remains to this day with most artisanal producers. Artisanal cachaça is one of the most consumed spirits in the world. Global spirit market is dominated by premium and super premium brands. Consumers prefer and are ready to pay more for higher quality. According to Dave Wondrich, a noted drinks historian and scholar:
“Cachaça is one of the most interesting spirits in the world. Proper artisanal cachaças are rich, full-bodied spirits that also have a great deal of subtlety and even grace.”
Cachaça is made from pure sugar cane. To produce it, sugar cane stalks are washed and pressed through large metal rollers to produce a concentrated sugar cane juice. Next, the juice is filtered to take out any plant fragments or dirt before being mixed with some type of cereal to help the fermentation process and give the finished product a unique taste. It is then added to the fermentation tanks for the final process of creating cachaça. The exact cereals used and the length of the fermentation process all depends on the distillery. The fermentation at room temperature is quick – between one and three days. It is then distilled at high temperatures before officially being labelled cachaça.
Did you know that moderate alcohol intake can dilate the wall of veins and arteries, elevate body temperature and facilitate blood flow? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal daily consumption is approximately 30g of alcohol, which corresponds to 2 (two) doses of cachaça. The habit of moderate alcohol consumption can:
In addition to alcohol, cachaça has concentrations of other compounds from fermentation and aging (mainly to cachaças maintained in wooden barrels). Aged cachaça, by the way, can be even more beneficial due to:
Experts from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom analyzed two groups, where one of them drank approximately two doses of cachaça a day. Before drinking, all were submitted to tasks in which the use of memory was fundamental. The researchers gave the group a mission to learn new words. The next day, those who drank were able to perform the tasks easily.
Braver exports different variety of 'Cachaça, The Brazilian Spirit' - worldwide. Contact a Project Manager and request a firm offer for a unique experience. Surprise your senses!
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¹Scientists at Loyola University in the United States reviewed studies produced in 1934 with 365.000 people on alcohol consumption and cognitive problems. The results showed those who drink alcohol moderately are 23% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and similar illnesses.
The country’s first sugarcane mills date back to the discovery of Brazilian territory in 1500. Cachaça was a despised residue of sugarcane and used by slaves to prepare a regional food. The planters began to recommend the use of cachaça as a way for slaves to better assimilate the hard and long work in the production of sugar cane. Since then the cachaça market has continued to evolve and the spirit’s quality has improved.
Cachaça is a drink of great cultural, social and economic importance for Brazil, and is directly related to the beginning of the Portuguese colonization of the country and to the sugar industry. Cachaça is best known for its use in caipirinhas (a traditional drink made by a mix of cachaça, lime juice, sugar and ice). The modern pop culture regularly creates new versions of cachaça using exotic fruits and sweet extras such as condensed milk.
Cachaça is conventionally clear; however, cachaças with golden hues do exist, darkened with a caramel coloring to show it is an aged cachaça. The aging of cachaça is a practice that modifies the chemical and sensory quality of the drink, adds colors, flavors and distinguished aromas. To be considered an aged cachaça, at least 50% of the contents must mature for at least one year. Very dark cachaça usually ages for three or more years.
Over time the drink was perfected, being filtered and then distilled, being much appreciated in cold times. The process of fermentation with corn meal goes back to the beginnings of the birth of cachaça and remains to this day with most artisanal producers. Artisanal cachaça is one of the most consumed spirits in the world. Global spirit market is dominated by premium and super premium brands. Consumers prefer and are ready to pay more for higher quality. According to Dave Wondrich, a noted drinks historian and scholar:
“Cachaça is one of the most interesting spirits in the world. Proper artisanal cachaças are rich, full-bodied spirits that also have a great deal of subtlety and even grace.”
Cachaça is made from pure sugar cane. To produce it, sugar cane stalks are washed and pressed through large metal rollers to produce a concentrated sugar cane juice. Next, the juice is filtered to take out any plant fragments or dirt before being mixed with some type of cereal to help the fermentation process and give the finished product a unique taste. It is then added to the fermentation tanks for the final process of creating cachaça. The exact cereals used and the length of the fermentation process all depends on the distillery. The fermentation at room temperature is quick – between one and three days. It is then distilled at high temperatures before officially being labelled cachaça.
- Sensory Perception: Absence of suspended particles. Light yellowish color. Clean. No turbidity. Intense brightness. Aroma of sugar cane with slightly woody notes lightly alcoholic.
- Aromatic Composition: The highlight of fruity, floral, spices and sweet aromas. Little perception of vegetable aromas. Identified a complexity of balanced aromas.
- Gustatory Description: It stands out sweet and sour tastes. Moderate alcohol aggressiveness. Light burning. Feeling fruity, sweet and slightly woody. Soft aftertaste.
- Ingredients: High-quality Brazilian Cachaças are made from ground, natural fermented and distilled sugarcane only.
Did you know that moderate alcohol intake can dilate the wall of veins and arteries, elevate body temperature and facilitate blood flow? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal daily consumption is approximately 30g of alcohol, which corresponds to 2 (two) doses of cachaça. The habit of moderate alcohol consumption can:
- Prevent clots and diseases such as thrombosis.
- Improve the HDL ("good" cholesterol).
- Reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease¹
- Indirectly reduce the risk of heart attack.
- Improve intellectual capacity and reasoning.
In addition to alcohol, cachaça has concentrations of other compounds from fermentation and aging (mainly to cachaças maintained in wooden barrels). Aged cachaça, by the way, can be even more beneficial due to:
- Phenolic compounds (provided by wood), have antioxidant and anticoagulant properties. Then, the greater the contact of the drink with the wood, the greater the extraction and concentration of these compounds in the cachaça.
- Several simple phenols and polyphenols (that offer stronger anticoagulant capacity) are found in aged cachaças, mainly ellagitannins, derived from hydrolysable wood tannins, which reduce the accumulation of platelets in the blood and protect our body from coronary diseases and, also cancer.
- The antioxidant action favors defense mechanisms of the body and fights against oxidizing factors, such as free radicals and LDL (“bad” cholesterol).
Experts from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom analyzed two groups, where one of them drank approximately two doses of cachaça a day. Before drinking, all were submitted to tasks in which the use of memory was fundamental. The researchers gave the group a mission to learn new words. The next day, those who drank were able to perform the tasks easily.
Braver exports different variety of 'Cachaça, The Brazilian Spirit' - worldwide. Contact a Project Manager and request a firm offer for a unique experience. Surprise your senses!
__________
¹Scientists at Loyola University in the United States reviewed studies produced in 1934 with 365.000 people on alcohol consumption and cognitive problems. The results showed those who drink alcohol moderately are 23% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s and similar illnesses.