Brazilian Cocktails

Host of the World Cup in 2014 and the next Olympic Games in 2016, the world is just a few years away from going completely “Brazil-Mad “. As such, I thought I would get ahead of the curve and present some popular Brazilian cocktails which have been born in this beautiful country. Brazil is rich with many flavours and tastes and this variety can be found in its many cocktails; from the unusual Caju Amigo, made from cashew juice to the Caipirinha, whose refreshing charms are starting to take the rest of the cocktail world by storm to the fruity Batida cocktail.

Most of Brazil`s most  famous cocktails are cocktails with cachaça. Similar to rum,cachaça is made from distilled sugar cane and, similar to rum or tequila, is either aged or unaged, white or gold. There are literally hundreds of different brands of cachaça, with brands such as Leblon and Sagatiba, now taking a foothold in international markets. Aged cachaça is considered superior and can be enjoyed on its own whilst unaged is usually used as the base for cocktails, such as the Caipirinha or the Batida. The flavour of aged cachaça will vary in flavour depending on the type of wood used for the barrels in which it is aged.

The Caipirinha cocktail is the national cocktail of Brazil and, due to the emergence of good quality cachaça brands across the world, this cocktail is quickly becoming a staple on cocktail menu across Europe and Northern America. Of all cocktails with cachaca, the Caipirinha is the most widely known and prepared. The drink is a refreshing mix of cachaça, crushed lime, white sugar and ice. When preparing this cocktail it is always advisable to select a premium cachaça as this drink is not heavily flavoured and a cheap brand has the potential to ruin an otherwise perfect Caipirinha. There are variations to this drink,such as the Caipisake, which replaces the cachaça with Sake and the Caipivodka, which replaces the cachaça with vodka.

 

 

 

 

 

Leite de Onça is a cold Brazilian drink made of cachaça and condensed milk. It is very sweet and has a very peculiar taste. It is usually served cold, in plain mugs, without garnish (though often cinnamon or chocolate powder is sprinkled over) so that it looks like milk at first glance.

 

Quentão, which means “very hot” or “big hot one”, is a hot Brazilian drink made of cachaça and spices.The sugar is first caramelized with the spices, ginger and the peels. This mixture is then boiled with water for 10 minutes. The cachaça is added and boiled for another 5 minutes. As the name suggests and what makes it unique from other Brazilian cocktails, it’s meant to be served really really hot. The gingery flavor should be very distinctive, high notes of cloves must be present also. Nutmeg is an optional ingredient, used in some recipes.

 

The Batida cocktail is another popular Brazilian cocktail made with cachaça and the word itself means “beaten” in Portuguese. The drink is either shaken hard or served as a frozen blender drink and they are almost always made with cachaça, fruit, sugar, milk and ice. Strawberry, lemon, peach and passion fruit are all commonly used in the Batida cocktail and they are famously associated with the beach fronts in Brazil and Rio carnival time. Below is how to make a Peach Batida:

 

Caju Amigo is a Brazilian drink made of cachaça and cashew juice. In some places, a slice of cashew is put in the drinker’s mouth and chewed without swallowing, and a shot of cachaça is drunk straight, swallowing the fruit and the drink at the same time.