Cachaca_Dave
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Posts posted by Cachaca_Dave
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I was just over at LeNell's Ltd. - Wine and Spirit Boutique and they just took a "Best Liquor Store in NYC" award from New York Magazine. I would have to agree. While I was there they (LeNell and staff) were having a creme de banana taste-off just for the heck of it. I mean really, what store is going to taste creme de banana just so that they can recommend the best one?
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Katie!
Next time you're in NYC I MUST take you to LeNelll's Not only do they have Vlevet Falernum, they also have tons of bitters and the largest selection of Burbon in NYC. Anyway Saturday I was hanging out there and they were having a Creme de Banana taste off! (just for fun) 1st Place - Hiram Walker, 2nd Place Marrie Blizzard, 3rd place Bol's, 4th place Dekuyper.
I even shot a video of it but it's too huge to put online.
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A little disappointed that they do not cover cachaca in the curriculum, it's only the 4th most distilled spirit in the world..... I'll have to drop them a line.
-Dave
Follow up - Dave Wondrich e-mailed me to say "we're definitely covering cachaca"
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OF CIGARS AND CAIPIRINHAS
It's funny when I was younger on occasion I would enjoy a cigar but always thought it wrecked havoc with my taste buds and spoiled a good meal.
Also, since I don't drink scotch neat, I never was able to do the scotch and cigar combo either.
Then yesterday the world changed.
I was having a meeting with the guys at Davidoff in the Time Warner Building and discussing the merits of the caipirinha with them, and of course they offered me a smoke. So there we are smoking some cigars and sipping caipirinhas and WOW! It was like adding cream to my coffee for the first time. The spiciness of the Davidoff cigar builds up with each puff then is washed away softly by the sweetness of the caipirinha. Spicy, sweet, spicy, sweet, on and on and till the caipirinha disappears.... (about 4 minutes). Not only was an incredible combo discovered yesterday, we're going to be doing some dinner / tasting events together real soon and I’ll put them up on the Egullet Calendar for anyone that is interested.
This summer - Cigars & MdO caipirinhas on the front lawn under a tree; I can’t wait!
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I checked with the Tax and Trade Bureau, and unless it's the wrong spelling Gandaia is not approved for sale here yet.
-DC
Is anyone familiar with Gandaia cachaca? From what I understand, it's from Minas Gerais. The importer is Pinga Bear and/or Adam and Mariana McCulley from North Carolina.I live in NC where the ABC system is just worthless.
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Interesting.....I find that some amber agave nectar blends very nicely with cachaca and citrus / juices. I find that honey is hard to play with because of the strong flavor and thick viscosity.
The Sundance Cocktail (as served at the Sundance Film Festival 06, Park City, UT)
1/2 Tart Blood Orange
1.5 oz Madhava Amber Agave Nectar (http://www.madhavahoney.com/agave.htm)
1.5 oz Cachaca Fazenda Mae De Ouro
Muddle blood orange, add agave nectar, ice and cachaca. Shake and pour into 9oz rocks glass.
I think it tied for popularity with the caipirinha.
A tray of caipirinhas and Sundance Cocktails
And some people enjoying them
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Knowing that California is one of the few, if not only states that allows mail-ordering spirits.
Well in that case you can order online from these two establishments here that have several cachacas to choose from:
http://www.parkaveliquor.com/parkave/html/ (search cachaca)
http://www.beekmanliquors.com/rums.htm (bottom of the page)
Jack - I would call Park Ave just to double check if they can ship to you.
-DC
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It seems like this question has been asked many times; but, going back through the thread I can't quite tell the answer.
If one only has a choice between the Ypioca (ouro gold, toucano, crystal), Pitu, and Pirrasunga 51 cachacas, which would anyone recommend for a first purchase?
Wow I'm sorry that the question is not just theoretical. If you must I think that you can get by using 51 but I seem to find that it can differ from bottle to bottle and I have no idea why. Ignorance is bliss and I think you already know too much about cachaca from reading this thread. However IF you call up K&L Wine Merchants (www.klwines.com) in SF, they are aware of Mae De Ouro and know the CA distributor to call to order it.
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There was a very good article on quality cachaca by Rob Willey in the current (Feb / March) issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray. They brands they mentioned were Mae De Ouro, Beleza Pura and Ypioca. While I thought it went a long way explaining what makes cachaca different from rum I wish it went into just a little detail on the difference between a pot still cachaca versus a column still cachaca.
-DC
PS for those of you who have the program Google Earth the coordinates for Cachaca Fazenda Mae De Ouro are: 20 degrees 41' 24" South, 46 degrees 15' 26" West (AKA the middle of nowhere, Brazil).
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Oronoco I thought was quite nice, a good blend of a very filtered unaged cachaca and rum. I would describe the flavor as rich and sweet, very little acid and fairly smooth. They were next to my booth at Rumfest and they said they were quite pleased at how the blend turned out. They won a gold or platinum medal at the World Spirit Competition this year and they have a most impressive bottle as well, embossed leather wrap, custom glass, etc... (not that it matters much).
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Well after trying Oronoco at Rumfest and speaking with the Diageo rep. I can honestly say that despite it's Brazilian hertitage Oronoco is definitely a rum. According to the rep it is actually a blend of rum and cachaca and it is being marketed as a premium rum. It looks like they are trying to go after the Ten Cane market, and I have to say I like it better than the Ten Cane. I thought the product was just delightful to drink with a very rich molasses flavor and great mouth feel.
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Hold the phone! Diageo has just entered the market with a brand of cachaca called Oronoco....My sources say that the producer's style is to distill his cachaca 2X using a pot still. Anyway here is the press release link:
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories....04204145&EDATE=
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I just got the latest Beverage Media for Metro New York (it's the phone book with all the liquor prices) and here are the "cachacas" that are on the market (in NY). It is important to note that larger NY retailers will ship to other states if it is permitted. I have also included the company websites. Hope it helps!
Unaged
51 Pirassununca ( C ) http://www.cachaca51.com.br/
Agua Luca ( C ) http://agualuca.com/
Beleza Pura ( C ) http://www.belezabrazil.com
Cachaca (no other brand name, 80 proof) ( C )
Cigana ( C )
Da Roca ( C )
Pitu ( C ) http://www.pitu.com.br
Ypioca (Crystal) ( C ) http://www.ypioca.com.br/
Velho Barreiro ( C ) http://www.tatuzinho.com.br/
88 ( C )
Samba Brasil ( C )
Aged
Armazem Vieira (4, 16 and 8 years old) (P) http://www.belezabrazil.com
Batque (U)
Cachaca Fazenda Mae De Ouro (P) http://www.caipirinha.us
GRM (P) http://www.belezabrazil.com
Leblon (U) http://www.leblonspirit.com
Rochinha (5 and 12 years old) (P) http://www.belezabrazil.com
Toucano © http://www.ypioca.com.br/
Ypioca (Ouro, Prata) © http://www.ypioca.com.br/
Key:
(P) - Pot still
( C ) - Column still
(U) - Unknown
2 retailers with a good selection of cachacas:
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I thought you guys might like this one:
Oh I love that! So catchy! The voice is Bebel Gilberto I've been told. Here's my $5 version that was made on a Manhattan rooftop:
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One producer's rep in Brazil once told me that sometimes women don't like to drink caipirinhas (in brazil) because it causes them to have "cachaca" breath. His remedy for this (with his product) was adding just a dash of gin to the mix, something I have never tried. Yesterday at a tasting I mada a 1/2 caipirinha with 1/4 lime, 1 tsp superfine sugar, muddled then topped it off with cachaca and some Dole not-from-concentrate pineapple juice....it's awesome. I'll be making them at another tasting this evening I expect. Not sure what to call it.
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I've found that most Brazilians make their caipirinhas pretty close to what I described. When I say I'm a caipirinha purist I mean that I intend to make it as close to the way I was shown in Brazil by numerous cachaca producers. I think that here in the US there is an over abundance of drinks "caipirinha" that have nothing in common with the drink other than the action of muddling. So it is important to set a standard to have people at least get the basic drink right before they start to experiment.
When you make the drink with crushed or shaved ice - are you shaking it? I find that shaved or crushed ice can make the drink very watery very quickly.
As far as the sugar goes - superfine is the same granularity as the sugar found in Brazil, table sugar is much too coarse and will not dissolve well. The other sweeteners sound interesting but I was disgusted when someone told me that they make their caipirinha with equal (nutrasweet).
And with regard to aged cachaca in a caipirinha, I have mixed feelings about that. 2-3 years and a they become bit too woody for cocktails (in my opinion).
In total agreement with you - fresh limes are as critical as good cachaca. Which brand do you prefer?
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Good point - the US RDA is 2mg per day for copper. My producer however tells me that some government study in Canada found copper (perhaps after it reacts with alcohol?) to be unhealthy and therefore prohibited in spirits. I have only been able to find this reference to about wine:
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2004/2004...l/regle2-e.html
"— Fining agents: acacia gum at a maximum level of use consistent with good manufacturing practice; and copper sulphate such that the maximum level of copper shall not exceed 0.0001 percent in the finished product;"
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I've said it before here on egullet but what the heck....It is important to balance the drink - in this case another teaspoon of sugar or 2 is needed. 2 ounces is a pretty large drink and as a caipirinha purist I believe sugar syrup to be forbidden! The key is to use superfine sugar (not powdered) and to remove the white core out of your lime. The ratio is 1.5 oz cacahaca, 1/2 a lime, 2 tsp. superfine sugar. The devil is in the details.
I want to thank my mentors in Brazil (all the cachaca producers who I meet with) for showing me exactly how to make a perfect caipirinha. I'll always remember asking one producer "tell me how you make the best caipirinha" and he started by saying; "Well I go into my backyard and pick some limes off the tree" Clearly he has an advantage, but this caipirinha formula above is about as perfect as you can get.
Oh also - there are about 4 types of limes here in the USA found in groceries, the most common are Mexican (round and fragrant) and the Tahitian (lemon shaped but green). Go for the Tahitian, it's the same as those found in Brazil. (go for firm fruits that are not mushy).
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Cachaca Fazenda Mae De Ouro has made an offering to SAQ through a broker there but they have been on strike. Our may be the only Alimbique cachaca (copper pot still distilled) that passes Canadian health requirements of zero copper content. Traces of copper in alcohol has been shown to be toxic, so even though we're not required to we filter it out for all our cachaca products.
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Humm I haven't seen this done before but it sounds good. I know they do turkey pieces wraped in bacon but I don't think they will have chicken liver on hand.
-Dave
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I can say hands down that Churrascaria Tropical is the best I have had on this side of the equator. The cuts of meat were exceptional and so succulent that my party and I ate until were almost falling out of our chairs. The service was also fantastic, with complimentary fried yuca at the bar and when it was discovered that they were out of soda water for a wine spritzer, 2 glasses of complimentary wine followed. They also seemed to have a greater selection of meats and even cooked up some chicken hearts just for me when I requested them. The prime rib was amazing.
The salad bar was light on options but fresh and good. The beer was a bargin at $5 for an ice cold brahma beer (and I mean ice cold), we drank a lot of those. While I did not try the caipirinhas I was told that they make 16 per liter bottle, which makes for a hefty 2.1 oz drink. I plan to talk to them about getting a better brand in
I'll be back there for sure, especially at the $19.95 price, well worth the trek to Astoria.
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A cuban place by my office uses wine goblets for their mojitos - it has a great effect of keeping the mint from going into the straw because all of it seems to float to the sides and and around the ice layer. I really think it's the shape of the glass that causes this effect.
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By far my favorite caipirinha is a passion fruit caipirinha.
Here's how to make it:
Combine the pulp and seeds of 1 ripe passion fruit with 3 teaspoons of superfine sugar and 1.5 ounces of good cachaca in a lowball glass. Stir the mix well and add ice. Delicious!
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Shortly I'll be in a unique position to write about Churrascaria Tropical - going to Platforma this evening and then to Tropical tomorrow night and I can't wait!
Cachaça
in Spirits & Cocktails
Posted
Cachaca should not by any means a neutral spirit.
There are some brands (that I won't mention) both in the US and in a big one in the UK that are very filtered and quite neutral in flavor. For someone who is used to vodka, these brands are easy to transition to, which is what I think the producers are going for.
Pot-still cachaca gets it's character from the yeasts used, the method of distillation, the essence of the sugar cane that makes it into the bottle and the wood that it is aged in. Flavors of the small batch stuff are as varied as the the colors of the rainbow. Think of all the scotches in Scotland, same deal.
Of course you could also buy into the hype and pick up a tasteless cachaca but that's just my opinion.
Also here is a nifty 1 pager on making the perfect caipirinha (shaken) which is great for a professional bar, however at home I usually stir the drink to mix it well.