Cachaça is not rum?
Updated: Sep 10, 2021

If Mexico has Mezcal, Russia has vodka, America has bourbon, and France has Cognac, then cachaça is the spirit of Brazil. Cachaça is often called Brazilian rum, a nickname that isn't entirely wrong: both rum and cachaça are made from sugarcane, but rum is made from sugarcane by-products, like molasses, whereas cachaça is made straight from the sugarcane itself. Because cachaça is distilled from raw sugarcane, it retains a grassy, harsh and earthy quality. Rum lacks, by turn, is sweeter with more notes of vanilla. That's because distilling from molasses brings out notes of the cooked sugarcane that either isn't present in raw sugarcane. So, both have different tasting notes. But why people call Cachaça rum? Up until 2013, in the United States, cachaça was sometimes labelled as "Brazilian rum," causing consumer confusion with rum produced in other places, such as Caribbean countries. " The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) published a final rule on February 25, 2013, to recognise the national spirit of Brazil. Although, in Brazil, we had many nicknames for it before officially be called cachaça: Bafo de Tigre (Tiger Breath), limpa olho (Eye-wash), água benta (holy water), abre coração (Heart opener), etc. Some of these words were created for the purpose of deceiving the supervision of the metropolis in the days when cachaça was banned in Brazil.
Cachaça is a distinctly Brazilian spirit that is closely aligned with Brazilian culture and cannot be made outside of the country. The other hand, rum can be made anywhere in the world, so production is not restricted to one specific region or country. It is most commonly associated with the Caribbean. Cachaça is best known for its role in the caipirinha; the spirit is appearing in more drinks these days as bartenders become more familiar with the spirit. Back in days, you would see only Cachaça at Brazilian restaurants like churrascarias in Europe and the United States. Nowadays, you see a caipirinha on every menu, and bartenders are moving beyond the caipirinha and making amazing creative cocktails with Cachaça. Overall, Cachaça it's the pride of Brazil. There's nothing better than go to Brazil and have a shot of cachaça in a local pub. I believe It's the same everywhere! Guinness taste way better when you are in a local pub around the Island than anywhere else. That's a fact. List of Cachaça brands: Novo fogo 3 Year Old (that boutique-y Cachaça company) ,Avuá cachaça, Novo Fogo, Yaguara and Samanaú. Caipirinha Cachaça 100ml 2 teaspoons sugar 1 lime, cut into wedges Method: in a rock glass, Muddle your lime wedges and the sugar. Add some crushed ice , add the cachaça. Churn up and down. Garnish with lime wheel