Cachaça

[eje]

Well in that case you can order online from these two establishments here that have several cachacas to choose from:

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I'm gonna see if I can shame one of my so called up-scale liquor stores into supplying decent cachaca first.

If that doesn't work, I'll spring for the postage.

[ThinkingBartender]

I am currently experimenting with a classic rum drink called a Canchanchara.

Canchanchara

2 shots light rum (aguardiente de caña)

3/4 shot honey syrup

1 shot fresh lemon juice

Shake with ice, and then strain into an ice-filled whisky glass. Top with

sodawater. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

This drink just crys out for added fruit!!!

Strawberry.

Peach.

Lychee.

Mango.

Passionfruit.

I also this it benefits from added eggwhite, through that is not strictly kosher with regards to the classic recipe.

I would rather push these at a bar than some lame Daiquiris or fruit Caipirinhas.

Cheers!

George

[Cachaca_Dave]

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

Edited February 2, 2006 by Cachaca_Dave (log)

[TomV]

How does one pronounce the name of this elusive spirit?

EDIT

Answered my own question from Bevmax:

(kah-sha-sah)

Edited February 4, 2006 by TomV (log)

[johnnyd]

Park Avenue does indeed ship to Maine - many thanks to Dave for passing that valuable info on to me - the question is for how much longer that will be possible.

Since my post a few months back about my dad buying a copper still in brasil used to make cachaca thirty years ago, I managed to remember to take a picture of it when I visited last Xmas.

Here it is:

Edited February 4, 2006 by johnnyd (log)

[TomV]

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.

[Cachaca_Dave]

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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[Cachaca_Dave]

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!

[Bill Poster]

Admin: Threads merged.

I'm interested in why cachaça is the drink of the moment(in the uk at least), while Agricole rums languish. Is it down to the vodka drinkers looking for a different buzz? I guess cachaça is more neutral tasting so this would make sense to me. Or maybe its just down to the image of cachaça. How is 10 cane doing in the states?

[eje]

I have only had the chance to try two rhum agricoles so far, La Favorite Blanc and St. James Amber.

While the Saint James Amber mixes OK, standing in for "character" rums in drinks, I have had little luck mixing the La Favorite Blanc. Its flavor is just too distinctive.

Compare a capirinha with Fazenda Mae de Ouro to a capirinha made with La Favorite Blanc, and you will see what I mean.

My only experience with cachaca is with MdO, so that is also a bit limited. However, while it is a cane spirit, I find in mixing, it has more in common with blanco tequilas or Piscos. It mixes well with just about any fruit and does not take over a cocktail like the La Favorite Blanc.

There is also the cost issue. At least in the US, you can find MdO for about $10 less than the least expensive rhum agricole blanc.

edit - grammar

Edited March 15, 2006 by eje (log)

[Cachaca_Dave]

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.

[eje]

Cachaca should not by any means a neutral spirit. 

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I did not mean to imply that at all.

I just meant it "plays well with others" in mixed drinks, especially those with fruit and citrus flavors.

In my experience, if you mix the same cocktail with MdO cachaca and la favorite blanc and give each to someone to try, they will tell you the cachaca cocktail is delicious and ask for another. Of course they will probably also ask, "If it is made with sugar cane, what is the difference between cachaca and rum?" I need to work on my answer to that one. Got any hints for snappy patter?

When they try the La Favorite cocktail, they will make a funny face, ask what is in it, and tell you it tastes like soap, bananas, "industrial solvent. Or perhaps an engine de-greaser," to quote VoodooDog in the Ti Punch thread.

-Erik

[Cachaca_Dave]

Hi Erik,

LOL actually the "should not be a neutral spirit" was more directed towards the UK where there is a really big brand that is premium and neutral in flavor.

MdO was designed to mixed well so I'm glad that you enjoy it!

Simple answer to what Cachaca Alimbique is:

"It's a spirit in the rum family that is made from fresh pressed sugar cane juice (rather than molasses) and distilled like a cognac rather than like a vodka."

Cheers!

[KatieLoeb]

I'm working on a "Thai-pirina". I'll just leave it at that. If it works, it'll be bloody brilliant. If it sucks, I won't report back.

[Bill Poster]

Dave, the blue label right? Have you tried Orinocco?

Katie, what do you garnish a Thai- pirina with?

[KatieLoeb]

Dave, the blue label right? Have you tried Orinocco?

Katie, what do you garnish a Thai- pirina with?

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I'm drinking attempt #1 right now. It's a bit too sweet and needs some tweaking. The flavors I'm incorporating are lime, ginger, basil and coconut. I might try cut out the coconut and see if that makes it better.

No garnish - it has fruit and leaves in it like a mojito. Garnish is already in the glass.

[Abra]

Cachaca_Dave, are you able to recommend any brands that are available on the west coast? For example, I used to only see 51, then someone told me it was rotgut, and this time I have Ypioca, which, I confess, I bought mostly because it "looks" professional and has a cool bottle. I haven't opened it yet, since it hasn't been warm enough to drink it yet this year.

[KatieLoeb]

OK - here's version #2 with more precise proportions and a photo:

Thai-pirina

Half a lime, cut into small pieces

6 large basil leaves

.75 oz. Ginger simple syrup

.50 oz. fresh lime juice

2 oz. Mae de Ouro cachaca

splash of Ginger ale

Place lime pieces and Ginger simple syrup into shaker. Tear basil leaves into shaker and muddle with limes and syrup. Fill shaker with ice, add cachaca and lime juice and shake vigorously. Dump entire contents of shaker into rocks glass and add a splash of ginger ale. Stir and serve immediately.

This was pretty refreshing. I'm really enjoying the lime +basil +ginger combo of flavors.

[Cachaca_Dave]

Dave, the blue label right? Have you tried Orinocco?

Yup that's the one.... However their blend of aged cachacas is very good (for sipping), I know the guy who does the blending.

[Ed Hamilton]

I have only had the chance to try two rhum agricoles so far, La Favorite Blanc and St. James Amber.

While the Saint James Amber mixes OK, standing in for "character" rums in drinks, I have had little luck mixing the La Favorite Blanc.  Its flavor is just too distinctive.

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When mixing these rhums you need to consider the proof. La Favorite Blanc is 100 proof compared to about the 90 proof St James Amber. St James Amber is also aged so you're really comparing two very different spirits.

[Jmahl]

Friends brought me back from Brazil some cachaca in these neat little plastice "sport" flasks. Good stuff. If you could pick up these little darlings at the local 7-11 it would certainly make the day go faster.

[Cachaca_Dave]

Friends brought me back from Brazil some cachaca in these neat little plastice "sport" flasks.  Good stuff.

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Yup, there is some unusual packaging down in Brazil for sure but a good rule is that if it comes in a sport flask or a 12 oz soda can for that matter (yes a full 8 shots in a easy to drink aluminum pop-top) I would stay away from it.

[Abra]

On Thursday Suzanne F from NY was in town for the IACP and came over for dinner. Before I even figured out what to cook, I decided to employ her palate in a taste-off

I managed to get my hands on a bottle of Mae de Ouro, and already had 51 and Ypioca in the cupboard. When I realized that we were going to have French food, somehow caipirinhas just seemed wrong, so we decided to go for the straight shot tasting approach.

The only open bottle was the 51, which I had thought made a decent caipirinha. I'd never tasted it straight, though, and before Suzanne arrived I took just a tiny sip. Ptooie! Tasted like soap!

For the actual tasting I thought we'd better start with the MdO while our palates were clear. Yum, delicious, with a nice floral nose. Good enough for sipping. If I hadn't known what it was, I would have had a hard time guessing between a light rum and a good grappa. You can definitely taste the oak, but it's a lot gentler than the woody grappa flavor. I'm sure it would make a great caipirinha, but I kind of hate to dilute it.

We went on to the Ypioca. No nose at all to me, really just hot. Suzanne, however, detected the scent of corn, very strongly, which is odd since corn doesn't appear on the label anywhere. These shots went into the dump bucket. The 51 fared better this time, edging out the Ypioca easily, but still not making it into the stand-alone good category. I guess our palates must have been a bit numb, because this time I didn't get the soapy hit that had been so evident at first.

Then, just to end on the right note, we each had another nice shot of the MdO. Wow, that's really good. When it gets warm here I'll try some in a caipirinha, but I think that until it becomes widely available, I'll probably use it for sipping, or special mixed drinks, keep the 51 for caipirinhas where the lime really covers up the flavor, and either find someone with no tastebuds to give the Ypioca to, or save it for the next time my drains get clogged.

[KatieLoeb]

Actually, the MdO makes a righteous caipirina. I'm hoarding my last little bit until I can get to NY to buy another bottle.

[Cachaca_Dave]

FoodNetwork.com Recommends the "Caipirinha" for "What to Drink This Spring:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/what_to_drink

OK OK I know Dave Lieberman is a famous TV chef / host and all but where did he get his caipirinha recipe from? There is a video on the Food Network site and then there is this:

Caipirinha Cocktail

Recipe courtesy Dave Lieberman

Ingredients

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

1 lime, cut into wedges

Ice cubes

2 shots Cacacha or white rum

Club soda

Instructions

Crush sugar and lime wedges in bottom of glass. Add ice cubes then top off with Cachaca and a dash of club soda.

Watch the video.....

I cringe at the thought of club soda in my caipirinha and is that Bacardi light he's using in the video?

-Cachaca Dave