In celebration of Brasilian Independence Day on September 7th, Cabana Cachaça will showcase its authentically Brasilian pride by spreading awareness of and educating Americans about cachaça. From September 7th – 14th, in the midst of festivities of freedom, Cabana, the first super-premium cachaça to be imported to the United States, will distribute ‘Ask Me about Cachaça’ buttons to bartenders, mixologists and cachaça enthusiasts across the United States, piquing curiosities and encouraging discussions about the third most distilled spirit in the world. Cabana’s ‘Ask Me about Cachaça’ campaign is an effort to educate curious drinkers and South American enthusiasts about cachaça, helping to explain what exactly this spirit is and why it’s become one of the hottest ingredients in mixology.
In an effort to change the perception of this emerging spirit in the United States, Cabana will sweep brand differences aside for one week and give cachaça the recognition it deserves, exemplifying the developments that have been made in the spirit’s production and distillation. Ambassadors at accounts like Cantina in San Francisco, Isla Cantina in Los Angeles, The Drawing Room and Sunda in Chicago and Gold Bar in NYC will be behind the bar, striving to educate consumers about cachaça by stressing four main points:
· Cachaça (pronounced kuh-shah-suh) is the National Spirit of Brasil and is the 3rd most distilled spirit in the world, although 98% of the consumption takes place in Brasil.
· Cachaça is distilled from fresh pressed sugarcane juice and differs from rum which is distilled from molasses, a byproduct of sugar production.
· The most common cocktail is the caipirinha (pronounced kai-pure-EEN-yuh) and is traditionally made using a barspoon of sugar, 2 ounces of cachaça and one lime quartered and muddled. Other fresh fruits can be added to make caipirinha variations.
· Not all cachaças are the same. The primary differences occur from the source and quality of the sugarcane, the method of distillation, the mellowing process and of course the art of the master distiller.
After Brasil won independence from Portugal in the late 1880s, cachaça became so ingrained in the national identity of the country that it was recognized as the national spirit of Brasil, with the caipirinha becoming the country’s national cocktail. The Portuguese are said to have introduced cachaça to Brasil during colonial times when plantation owners served the drink to their slaves to make them more productive. As the drink became more popular, distillers began cropping up all over Brasil during the 16th and 17th centuries. The spirit gradually became more palatable and eventually developed into liquor that was consumed by everyone. Now, native Brasilians like Cesar Cestari, master distiller for Cabana Cachaça have refined the distillation and production process to the point that cachaça has come to be considered an artisanal spirit that can stand up to other spirit categories in terms of quality and taste.
“Utilizing an innovative production process developed by our master distiller, Cabana’s versatility and quality has led it to be embraced by mixologists and sophisticated consumers in the most exclusive locations, places cachaça would never have worked before,” says Cabana founder Matti Anttila. “We are excited to honor Brasil’s national spirit and celebrate the country’s independence while working to educate Americans about cachaça, a spirit that is still new and unexplored by most people.”
To honor Brasilian Independence Day, Cabana Cachaça has made it its mission to satisfy any curiosity about cachaça. They’re encouraging everyone to reach out and ask someone about cachaça.
About Cabana Cachaça
The ultimate version of Brasil’s national spirit, Cabana is authentic to the core – double distilled from freshly pressed hand-cut sugar cane, aged and estate bottled at the source in Brasil. Additionally, Cabana is the first imported cachaça to be hand crafted in small batches, double-distilled in copper pot stills and mellowed for up to nine months in Brasilian Jequitibá wooden barrels. The innovative production process strips out the impurities common in most cachaça while isolating the desirable characteristics that make it unique. The resulting spirit, an artisanal white rum in its purist, most elevated form, has garnered wide praise from the trade, earning a 94 point rating from renowned spirits critic Anthony Dias Blue as well as Gold Medals in both the 2008 and 2009 Ministry of Rum Tasting Competitions. Known for quality, Cabana Cachaça was also recently awarded a Double Gold Medal at the 9th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition; the highest of honors. For further information please visit www.cabanacachaca.com.
