Tell me about cachaça.

[Fooferah]

Ok boozers, tell me all about cachaça.

Have you had it? Do you like it? What does it taste like? What's the best (or your favorite) kind? What drinks do you like to make/order with it?

[Mr. Irreverent]

It's basically used to make caipirinhas, which is very similar to a mojito.

http://www.recipezaar.com/95199
or
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink2632.html

[Cachaca_Dave]

Hello Fooferah,

I saw your post so I joined up to answer your questions on cachaca.

Cachaca is a spirit in the rum family made from fresh sugar cane juice. Most rums are made from molasses, a byproduct of making processed sugar. Historians have found that cachaca was actually invented about 100 years before rum, so think of it as the great grand daddy of modern rum.

Cachaca has a taste that is quite unique, it should really capture the flavor and aroma of fresh sugar cane juice. Being in LA, I recommend that you try several brands of cachaca and decide which one you like best. There are over 5000 brands in Brazil and perhaps as many as 20 brands here in the US.

As for a caipirinha, yes it is a classic cocktail that can ONLY be made with cachaca. (I disagree with recipezaar.com that says use vodka or sake, etc..). Here is how to make a perfect caipirinha, everytime. Take a heavy 9 ounce rocks glass, muddle 1/2 a large lime cut into 4 pieces, add 2 regular teaspoons of C&H BAKERS SPECIAL SUGAR (same texture used in Brazil.), muddle lime and sugar, till the sugar is disolved, fill with ice, add 1 and 3/4 ounces of cachaca, shake or stir well.

Once you have mastered the caipirinha you can make the drink with other fruits, like kiwi, pineapple or strawberries. Cachaca also mixes well with fruit juices and the cocktails you can make with it are endless.

If you need a muddler, just let me know and I would be happy to send you one.

Best Regards,

Cachaca Dave
Cachaca Fazenda Mae De Ouro

[trdi]

Originally Posted by Mr. Irreverent

It's basically used to make caipirinhas, which is very similar to a mojito.

http://www.recipezaar.com/95199
or
http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink2632.html

Mojito? Gotta be good then, mojito is my favorite cocktail.

[lunchbox]

omfg!!! i'm so glad you started this thread foof. i effing cachaça!!! it's the only hard liquor i make sure my house always has stocked. caipirinhas are my favorite cocktail. i read somewhere that (world wide) cachaça is the 3rd most sold liquor and yet here in america, it's really hard to find it served in bars. i've only seen caipirinhas on one place's menu (a french hotel up in SF) and they were out of cachaça. :(

the one i make at home is a passionfruit caipirinha.

*1-2 parts cachaça.
*1 part passionfruit juice (preferably fresh or ceres brand).
*2-3 heaping tsp brown sugar.
*juice of 1 lime.
*i don't have a muddler, so i just juice the lime and then toss one half of the lime's peel into the glass.
*fill with ice.

as for taste... you can get a $15-20 bottle of it at bevmo and it's pretty smooth. i can't really describe it otherwise. it's better than rum, that's for sure.

[chu gar]

Cachaca kahn?

[puppy805]

Originally Posted by Fooferah

Ok boozers, tell me all about cachaça.

Have you had it? Do you like it? What does it taste like? What's the best (or your favorite) kind? What drinks do you like to make/order with it?

Yes
Yes, very much
Smoother than rum
I drank some great stuff in Brasil and brought a few bottles home ...long gone... You can get Ypioca Gold at Bevmo it's pretty good.

I like it with pineapple juice.

[Roody]

I use one of those souvenir baseball bats as a muddler. I use the small end, and it works like a champ!