Velho Barreiro Cachaça

The first time I had cachaça was at The Midwest Grille in Cambridge, which makes sense seeing how Midwest Grille bills itself as an authentic Brazilian Churrascaria and cachaça is the official spirit of Brazil. For those who don't know, cachaça is often described as Brazilian rum, which it is, but so much more. Cachaça is brewed and distilled from sugar cane and aged giving it, generally a smoother, richer taste than most rum from Puerto Rico or elsewhere in the Caribbean. Since my first experience with cachaça, I have sought out quality examples of this spirit with mixed results, but I have settled on a favorite, based on my experience so far: Velho Barreiro.

This cachaça is a bargain at $14 for a one-liter bottle. The label sports old-world, vaguely Cyrillic, Brazilian text along with a portrait of some old guy with a long, flowing beard and what appears to be some kind of floppy hat or bonnet. The whole label has a vaguely Marxist feel to it and looks really cool.

Velho Barreiro pours clear and smells downright magical, like really good tequila, buttery and rich. The flavor is excellent with a caramel sweetness, a tequila-like woodsy richness, and a pleasant cold smokiness. I have always described the flavor of really good cachaça to be halfway between good rum and good tequila, Velho Barreiro being the prime example of this.

I recommend this spirit served in the traditional Brazilian cocktail, a caipirinha, modified here just slightly.

Connoisseur Tom's Caipirinha

1 lime cut into wedges

1tbsp raw sugar

1.5oz Velho Barreiro cachaça

Squeeze lime wedges over a glass of crushed ice, drop in the hulls and the sugar, muddle to dissolve the sugar. Pour in the cachaça, stir, and top with a splash of club soda.

Enjoy this refreshing cocktail with anything from barbecued meats on swords, to tacos al pastor, to grilled chicken.