The Brazilian sugar cane spirit known as cachaça (kah-SHA-sah) is one of the most popular categories of cane spirit in the world.

Cabana Cachaça from Brazil.
photo by Robert Burr.

Made from fresh sugar cane juice, cachaça is often bottled with little or no aging in barrels, presenting a full-flavored profile spirit most popularly enjoyed in cocktails, such as the caipirinha (kai-pee-REEN-yah), the national drink of Brazil.

Some premium products, referred to as artisanal cachaças, are often made in small quantities and aged in woods indigenous to Brazil. The region of Minas Gerais in Brazil is well know for producing artisanal cachaça. Using natural yeast in the environment, these spirits are distilled in copper pots in small batches. Maturing in wood develops special aroma components and softens the finish.

Large manufacturers of cachaça use tall column stills of stainless steel to produce vast volumes of spirit in a continuous process, most of which is enjoyed without maturing in barrels.

Examples of popular cachaças available in the U.S. include Agua Luca, Beija, Beleza Pura, Boca Loca, Cabana, Cachaça 51, Cuca Fresca, Fazenda Mãe de Ouro, Leblon, Moleca, Rio D, Sagatiba and Ypioca.

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Robert Burr
National Rum Examiner
Gifted Rums Guide
Miami Rum Renaissance Festival
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