Wednesday, Mar. 31, 2010

Cachaça (Brazil)

Marketed as the "essence of Brazil in a bottle," cachaça (ka-SHA-sa) is produced in Brazil by fermenting sugarcane juice for 24 hours, then boiling the liquid to intensify the alcohol's potency. The distilled liquor gained popularity after the refreshing cachaça-based cocktail the caipirinha made its way into European and American bars and restaurants. In 2003, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva specified the names cachaça and caipirinha as strictly Brazilian in origin. Brazil has also lobbied the E.U. to ensure that the name cachaça applies only to products of Brazilian origin.