National Geographic Traveller (UK) - Food
I’m going to São Paulo and want to try cachaça — any tips?
Catherine Balston: Cachaça, known as ‘pinga’, is a Brazilian spirit made by distilling fermented sugarcane juice. It dates back to the 16th century, when Portuguese settlers began planting sugarcane to fuel Europe’s insatiable appetite for the sweet stuff.
In the early 1900s, industrial-scale production, with its chemically controlled fermentation and continuous distillation methods, created a cheap, harsh colourless spirit. However, a more artisanal approach has become popular of late, using natural fermentation followed by distillation in copper stills to create a higher-quality, complex cachaça.
In recent years, São Paulo has seen specialist shops and bars opening up to cater to discerning drinkers. Cachaçaria SP is among the newest, selling a vast range of cachaças within the city’s Edifício Copan building; Empório Chiappetta, at the Mercado Municipal market, also stocks an impressive array.
White, unaged cachaça is usually drunk as an aperitif or in caipirinhas — Brazil’s national cocktail. Princesa Isabel distillery, in Espirito Santo state, produces Aquarela, one of the best unaged cachaças in the country. Maria Isabel, a distillery in Paraty, in Rio de Janeiro state, also produces award-winning cachaças.
In São Paulo, cachaça can be found at every bar, but for a good choice of artisanal labels, look for cachaçarias — specialist cachaça bars, such as the lively Rota do Acarajé in the Santa Cecília district.
In the UK, good cachaças from small producers are hard to come by, but Yaguara Cachaça produces a range of white and aged blends that are relatively easy to find.