Cachaça

Outside of Brazil (where it is the best-selling spirit), cachaça is best known for its starring role in the caipirinha—a simple three-ingredient, lime-infused cocktail. Rum drinkers will find cachaça to have a familiar taste. Both are distilled from sugarcane, but cachaça is made from fresh cane juice, while rum is usually produced from molasses (which is cooked). The difference gives cachaça more vegetal, herbal notes than what you might find in other spirits. Use Food & Wine's guide to find great cocktail recipes that call for cachaça, plus recommendations for our favorite bottles.

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Imperial Bulldog
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Imperial Bulldog is the first drink that Jane Danger created with Austin Hennelly, her partner at Mother of Pearl in New York City. She admires his cheeky finishing touches, like the miniature bottle of Underberg bitters inverted in the glass. As the ice melts, the bottle slowly empties into the drink. Slideshow: More Easy Cocktail RecipesThis recipe originally appeared in the Food & Wine 2016 Cocktails book.
Maiden Name
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"Who doesn't like coconut?" asks Ivy Mix of Leyenda in Brooklyn. "I mean, come on, I love piña coladas, but I always want a little more." She gives her version an extra flavor boost with passion fruit syrup, spices and the sugarcane spirit cachaça.Slideshow: More Easy Cocktail RecipesThis recipe originally appeared in the Food & Wine 2016 Cocktails book.
Caipirinha
Whip up a few refreshing Caipirinhas this summer. This sweet Brazilian cocktail is easy to make and perfect for your summer party.
Fruity Caipirinha Jelly
This refreshing cachaça-laced jelly from Spanish star chef Jordi Roca is like a spoonable cocktail. Slideshow: Ultimate Summer Fruit Recipes 
Beg Your Pardon
“I wanted to create a spicy, refreshing drink that would showcase cachaça in a different way,” says Chicago’s Alex Renshaw. Here, he mixes cachaça with jalapeño-infused Chartreuse. Slideshow:  Rum Cocktail RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Cocktails 2015 
Honor Amongst Thieves
This is Alex Renshaw’s take on a tiki cocktail. “It’s essentially a sour that I broke the rules with,” he says. Renshaw sweetens the sugarcane-based cachaça and bourbon with pineapple juice and citrusy Velvet Falernum. Slideshow:  Rum Cocktail RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Cocktails 2015 
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More Cachaça

Just Cause
“This drink is like a crazy, tropical French 75,” says Chicago-based mixologist Alex Renshaw. He replaces the gin in the classic with cachaça and Chareau, an aloe vera liqueur with a minty, cucumber taste. If Chareau isn’t available, substitute aloe vera juice from a health food store or juice bar. Slideshow:  Tropical Island DrinksRecipe from Food & Wine Cocktails 2015 
Sage Advice
This is a great summertime drink,” says bartender Shannon Ponche. It’s an herbal twist on a caipirinha, using fresh sage leaves and crema de mezcal (a blend of mezcal and sweet agave syrup). Slideshow: More Mezcal Cocktail RecipesRecipe from Food & Wine Cocktails 2015 
5 Ways to Take Cachaça Beyond the Caipirinha
Blackberry & Cabernet Caipirinha
Cachaça: The Spirit of Brazil
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