We learned a lot about booze over the weekend in New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail--sometimes more than we cared to, but that's a story for another day. We were more than happy to be educated about the plight of Cachaca, the key ingredient of one of our favorite cocktails, the caipirinha.
Turns out, Cachaca is forced to label itself, "Brazilian Rum", even though it has been around longer than rum. Read the official statement below:
In 1744, the Portuguese Crown declared that the production, distribution, and sale of Cachaça, Brazil’s noble spirit, would be illegal in the Portuguese Colony of Brazil. Fortunately for us all, the Brazilians rebelled and the virtues of Cachaça won.
Here we are 265 years later, and Brazil’s noble spirit, Cachaça, is still being tortured. Cachaça was invented nearly five hundred years ago in Brazil, in the early 1500’s, 100 years before its Caribbean cousin, Rum. In many countries, such as here in the United States, Cachaça is recognized officially as Brazilian Rum. Not Cachaça. This we do not understand, as Cachaça is not Rum. Cachaça is made from Fresh Cane Juice and Cachaça can only come from Brazil. As the Third Most Consumed Spirit, in the world, and the key ingredient to Brazil’s National Cocktail, the Caipirinha, we believe Cachaça deserves to be recognized as just that: Cachaça, and not Brazilian Rum.
Cachaca supporters have been staging "protests" around the country, like the one shown above from New Orleans on Saturday. This protest involved a jazz band and free shots of Cachaca, making it easy to get behind the cause.
While we missed June 12, International Legalize Cachaca Day, there's still time to sign the Legalize Cachaca petition.
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