By
George Brozowski
Generally,
when I think of Brazil, I think of statuesque Brazilian beauties
in bikinis on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro beneath that really
tall statue of Jesus atop a mountain sadly looking down at
all those half naked people partying. Well, that's certainly
not what the people of Brazil think about because they are
very, very busy downing over 240 million liters of Cachaça
every year, making it the second largest selling spirit in
the world. I'll just bet you don't know what the number one
world's best selling spirit is! It's a South Korean rice and
barley spirit called Jinro soju. Now, that we've hop scotched
around the spirit world let's get back to that Cachaça
51.
Although
both rum and Cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived
products, specifically in Cachaça, the alcohol results
from the fermentation of fresh sugarcane juice that is afterwards
distilled, while rum is usually made from by-products from
refineries, such as molasses. And just what is it that all
those Brazilians are doing with their Cachaça? Well,
they're either drinking it straight or mixing it into a Caipirinha,
which is very simple to make by just using a bit of lime and
sugar and ice and, of course, the Cachaça. OK, so break
out the limes, and let's give this a go.
Cachaça
51 comes in a tall clear bottle with a very large
51 right in the middle of the label with yellow and red stripping
just behind it. The liquid is completely clear and looks like
water. The nose is a sweet earthy, grassy combination dotted
with citrusy notes. There are no ethanol aromas to speak of.
On
the palate, the sugar sweetness comes forward followed by
licorice, citrus, and a hint of spearmint with an earthiness
lurking in the background. The finish is sweet, licorice like,
and smooth and lasts a medium amount of time. I do believe
if you like rum, you'll like Cachaca 51.
I must admit that the thought of putting sugar in this already
sweet spirit was contradictory to my nature, but I went ahead
and followed a recipe for making Caipirinha and was surprised
to discover that the tartness of the lime completely complimented
the sugar and the natural sweetness of the spirit. This is
one mighty tasty and refreshing drink. I can understand why
everyone in Brazil drinks it.
A
700 ML bottle will run you about $26.49 and it is 40% ABV.
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