A post on Cachaca may seem untimely, or worse, unseasonable, but hey, it’s Summer somewhere, no? So, friends south of the equator, this one’s for you. Plus, I’m feeling a need for a break from the cold. There has been much written about Cachaca in the past year (see links at end of post) and its growing prominence on bar shelves everywhere, and even much bally-hoo around whether the Caipirinha, the primary and traditional drink using Cachaca, is the next… Mojito!¹ *gasp* Regardless of the Caipirinha’s status as the next bane of bartenders’ existences everywhere, the fact remains that it is an excellent and simple drink that, so far, I’ve found only really shines when true Brazilian Cachaca is used. And, as it’s one of my mother’s favorite drinks and I’d picked up several cachacas not available here, we had ourselves a tasting, and threw in a cousin to Cachaca, Rhum Agricole, for kicks.

Cachaca, in a nutshell, is a neighbor to Rum in the spirits world with the primary difference being that while Rum is usually distilled from molasses or the byproduct of sugar production, Cachaca is distilled directly from the sugar cane itself. So, again, neighbors, but the difference creates a very different character in the two. The primary distinction I find is that Rum (especially Light Rum) is more refined and light in body than Cachaca where Cachaca has a heavier quality and an almost earthy and musty flavor profile that distinguishes it from traditional Rum and lends itself to Tequila comparisons. Who were the contenders for my affections you ask? Well then…

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1. whatever that means. but it still means muddling your ass off, sorry barkeeps everywhere [↩]