Cachaca Facts-Training

Table of Contents

Origin 3

Production Process 4

Initial Production 5

Pressing the Cane 6

Fermentation 7

Distillation 8

Resting or Aging 9

2
Origin

Sugar production was mostly switched from Madeira Islands to Brazil by the
Portuguese in the 16th century. In Madeira, aguardente de cana is made by
distilling sugar cane liquors and the pot stills from Madeira were brought to
Brazil to make what today is also called cachaça.

The process dates from 1532, when one of the Portuguese colonizers
brought the first cuttings of sugar cane to Brazil from Madeira
When homemade, it can be as strong as the distiller wants. Up to six grams
per litre of sugar may be added.

3
Production Process

Cachaça, like rum , has two varieties: unaged (Portuguese : branca, "white" or prata,
"silver") and aged (amarela, "yellow" or ouro, "gold").
White cachaça is usually bottled immediately after distillation and tends to be cheaper
(some producers age it for up to 12 months in wooden barrels to achieve a smoother
blend). It is often used as an ingredient in Caipirinha and other mixed beverages. Dark
cachaça, usually seen as the "premium" variety, is aged in wood barrels and is meant
to be drunk straight (it is usually aged for up to 3 years though some "ultra premium"
cachaças have been aged for up to 15 years). Its flavor is influenced by the type of
wood the barrel is made from.

There are very important regions in Brazil where fine pot still cachaça is produced
such as Chã Grande in Pernambuco state, Salinas in Minas Gerais state, Paraty in
Rio De Janeiro state, Monte Alegre do Sul in Sao Paulo state and Abaíra in Bahia
state.
Nowadays, producers of cachaça can be found in most Brazilian regions and in 2011
there were over 40,000 of them.[9]

4
Initial Production

At this stage it is necessary to plant and harvest sugarcane. In this sense is

important to stress the characteristics of the plantation, terroir and climate
play a very important role.

Produced in Brazil, sugar cane is the main ingredient of cachaça and has a
few months of the year that can present a better result in tropical and
subtropical areas.
It usually occurs between late autumn and early spring. In this harvest
period, sugar cane must be juiced immediately and it is very important to
choose the right cut and start the production process immediately.

5
Pressing the cane

This process is responsible for removing the juice from the sugar cane.
The process must be done with perfection to extract the best juice from
the sugar cane.

The secret here is a few stalks at a time.

The process is not rushed, the quality of the final product is essential.

6
Fermentation

Converting the sugar into alcohol!

Once the sugarcane juice has been filtered, yeast is added for the
conversion of the sugar into alcohol.
During fermentation, the yeast converts sugars into alcohol in less than 24
hours, producing a beverage of approximately lighter ABV also known as
wine cane.

7
Distillation Process

For a cachaça produced in small batches, it prizes enough for the quality using
a copper pot still and separating the best part of the final process of
distillation known as "heart".
Therefore, as soon as fermentation comes to an end this juice is transferred
to the copper pot still to be distilled.
About just 10% of the distillate is considered the "heart" that is used to
produce the final Cachaça suitable for drinking.

8
Resting or Aging

After the distillation the cachaca is separated to be rested or aged. To be

rested, in general, use stainless steel tanks or wooden barrels over 700
liters. To be considered aged, wooden barrels of less than 700 liters should
be used. This is the methodology adopted for cachaça.

In addition to the traditional American and European oak barrels, Brazil

offers several natives woods for the aging of cachaça such Arariba &
Jequitiba wood.
This aspect becomes the most interesting because it adds a peculiar and
different flavor of the traditional and well-known oak.