Cachaca_Dave

I grew up all over the world - living in Cameroon, Somalia, and Indonesia. Fortunately for me my parents were both excellent cooks preparing the most amazing meals with the limited ingredients that we had. My mother is a dim-sum and Cantonese cooking expert and my father can make a feast out of almost anything. Cooking and the enjoyment of food runs in my family on both sides (Chinese and Italian).

And here's what the press says:

Food & Wine Magazine

'06 Tastemaker Awards

15 spectacular talents who have changed the world of food and wine by age 35

BY RATHA TEP AND KATE KRADER

dave catania

cachaça crusader

Dave Catania is called Cachaça Dave for good reason: He’s dedicated himself to bringing the best of the Brazilian spirit to the U.S. His Mãe de Ouro is indeed a standout. Catania, 29, whose day job is doing research for investment banks, discovered cachaça four years ago. He trekked around Brazil trying countless varieties before choosing the artisanal variety from the Mãe de Ouro farm in the southeast. It grows sugarcane sustainably and harvests it by hand, which preserves the cane’s natural flavor, then uses an eco-friendly pressed-sugarcane fuel in the distillation process. Aging in 30-year-old Scotch barrels gives the cachaça an exceptionally smooth, oaky flavor, making it a favorite at retailers like Sam’s Wines & Spirits in Chicago. Catania’s grassroots marketing also helps. Late one night last February he introduced himself to Dewey Dufresne, co-owner of WD-50 in New York City. After Catania had mashed arguably the most important caipirinha of his life, he landed one of his first restaurant accounts. —Hillary Kaylor