Cachaça

Cachaça is a Brazilian distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. It is the most widely consumed spirit in Brazil and, outside the country, is increasingly used in cocktails such as the caipirinha. Cachaça differs from rum, which is typically produced from sugarcane byproducts like molasses rather than from fresh juice.

Most cachaça is produced by fermenting freshly pressed sugarcane juice, sometimes with natural yeasts or added cultures, and distilling the mash in copper or stainless-steel stills. The spirit is typically bottled at 38–48% alcohol by volume. Many producers highlight artisanal methods, small-batch production, and single-origin cane.

Unaged varieties, called prata or branca, are clear and light in flavor. Aged forms, often labeled ouro or envelhecida, rest in wooden casks (often oak, amburana, or other tropical woods) for varying periods, developing color and richer, wood-derived notes. Some producers also offer aged expressions with longer maturation and different flavor profiles.

In Brazil, cachaça must be produced from sugarcane juice and produced in Brazil to be marketed as “cachaça.” The industry recognizes several regional styles, with states such as Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Bahia, and Rio de Janeiro historically prominent. Export markets may follow their own labeling rules. The term “aguardente de cana” is a broader Portuguese term for cane spirit.

Cachaça is commonly consumed neat, on the rocks, or as the main ingredient in cocktails, almost always with lime and sugar in the caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail. In recent decades, premium cachaças and artisanal producers have gained international recognition for diverse flavor profiles.