What is cachaca ? The perfect definition
Cachaça (pronounced “kha-sha-ssa”) is a distilled spirit made from fresh sugarcane juice and produced in Brazil with designation of origin protected. Cachaça is the main ingredient for caipirinhas and others cocktails, versatile, can be aged in different woods apart from oak and bottled between 38% and 48% alcohol by volume.
Aging in wood barrels is not a mandatory step in the process, but it has become important in the production of distilled beverages, influencing the quality, color and aroma.
The Brazilian spirit is divided in two types: Artisanal and industrial. Artisanal use manual selected sugarcane and yeasts, produced in a pot-still batches, using a special process for undesirable fractions to extract the noble part of quality Artisanal Cachaça, the "heart".
On the other hand, industrial Cachaça is produced in large quantities, sugarcane harvested by machines and using a column still through a continuous distillation, speed up in terms of fermentation by adding various chemicals.
Legalization of cachaça and National Cachaça Day
It's always good to remember the history. Cachaça is considered the first distilled cane spirit in the Americas, pre-dating rum by nearly a hundred years. During this time became one of the country's most popular products, and in 1635 the King of Portugal banned the production and sale of cachaça. In 1660, a group of cachaça producers in Rio de Janeiro rebelled and took over the city government, an uprising that was to be known as the Cachaça Revolt. This rebellion paved the way for the legalization of cachaça, which occurred on September 13th, 1661 and thats why become National Cachaça Day in Brazil.
The production process is important, but the origin and history in Brazil, make the Cachaça a special product. Each distillery in the country adds a special touch of production. Variety of flavor and richness of story surprises everyone who proves this typically Brazilian drink and moreover, brazilian native woods bring a special touch.
