There is no alcoholic beverage more popular among the poorest people of Brazil than Cachaca. Made by distilling the liquids extracted from sugar cane, containing between 70 - 80% of alcohol, and remarkably cheap and remarkably intoxicating, there is probably no beverage better designed to make people forget their poverty. Starting about two years ago, after becoming bored with grappa, the beautiful people of the United States and Canada, adopted cachaca as their new "in" beverage. Cachaca has now made its appearance and is on the ascendance in popularity.

Cachaca is technically part of the Spanish-Portugese family of brandies known as aguardiente . It is also a close cousin to French marc and Italian grappa.

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Translated from either Spanish or Portuguese Cachaca means "burning water", and anyone who has ever tasted this stuff knows how accurately that term describes these beverages. There simply is no such thing as a mild or sophisticated aguardiente and when consumed in large enough quantities it will give an absolutely terrible hangover.

Unlike most of the hundreds of millions of bottles consumed in Brazil, the two most popular brands currently being imported to the United States and Europe, "Cachaca 51" and "Pitu" have only a 40% alcoholic content. That does not stop either of them from leaving a stinging sensation in the mouth, a burning feeling in the throat and a somewhat fiery feeling in the stomach when they are consumed. As to evaluations, I find the Cachaca 51 so coarse and burning that if I had to compare it to anything it at all, it would be to kerosene. The Pitu version, much to its credit, actually has a discernible flavor, hinting perhaps of anise, and is considerably smoother.

Frankly, the only reason to drink cachaca neat is to seek a quick, relatively inexpensive way to get drunk. Personally, having tried each several times, I conclude that enough is enough. My advice to those who decide to try these beverages is to alleviate the more negative effects by mixing their Cachaca with generous amounts of papaya juice, pineapple juice or the juice of other tropical fruits.

© Daniel Rogov