DELICANA CACHACA

Delicana Cachaça is a pure natural product without chemical additives, produced in Minas Gerais and there are four different types of this artisanal cachaca (silver, gold, premium and cinnamon- orange liqueur/ spiced) They are sold in 1litre bottles. All artisanal cachaca uses cold-pressed sugarcane.

In front of me i have samples of 3 of the cachacas, the silver, gold and the cinnamon-orange liqueur cachaca. The last one i was especailly curious about as its the first spiced cachaca i try and i was very pleasantly surprised. It has nice and natural cinnamon/orange flavor and i believe this one will be very nice as a cocktail ingredient. The bottle has a nice colorful label and its made from 100% natural ingredients.

The silver cachaca is stored several months in jequitiba barrels and its pleasantly mild and flavorful. The gold cachaca is stored in oak barrels and has a more sturdy flavor with more bite as well. It has a vanilla tone and the color is beautifully golden, this one is also very mild. Both the silver and the gold cachacas are 38% ABV or 76 proof.

The natural cocktail for cachaca is fresh and fruity, like the caipirinhas or batidas. I love these fresh fruity cocktails and inspired by the mouth watering L-Stop caipirinha at Cachacagora i decided to mix up a similar drink with the Delicana cachacas paired with 2 of Bob´s bitters.

THE GOLDEN SPICED CAIPIRINHA

1/2 lime, end cut off and split into four equal pieces.

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1 ounce of  Lime Sugar (recipe below)

1.5 oz Delicana Gold cachaca

0.75 oz Delicana spiced orange liqueur-cinnamon cachaca

Top with Ting (or other grapefruit soda)

2 dashes grapefruit bitters (I used Bob´s)

Rim the glass with lime  sugar. I made my lime sugar a bit differently and zested one lime and mixed with fine raw canesugar.

Then cut the ends of 1/2 lime and quarter it, add to glass. Add 1oz fine raw sugar. Muddle and add cachaca, spiced cachaca and bitters. Add crushed ice, stir. Top with a little Ting and add more crushed ice to fill and garnish with a lime wedge and some sprinkled limesugar on top.

This drink is so fresh that my brain zings! and there`s a pleasant cinnamon aftertaste.

After this drink i tried the silver cachaca and made a tiki style batida. I haven`t yet seen any cachaca in a tikidrink so i also think its about time for a modern tiki style cachaca drink.

PINEAPPLE TIKI BATIDA

I was first going to make a regular batida and then i got to think about that pineapple i had lying about in the kitchen. It had a top that was small and fun looking, and to me that spells fun garnish. A pineapple top garnish naturally fits a tiki drink and it was then i got the idea to marry the batida with the tiki and thus it became a tiki style batida!

4-6 pineapple chunks from a just matured (not so sweet) pineapple

1 barspoon limesugar

1 barspoon vanilla-orgeat

sprinkle of fresh lime juice

2.5 oz delicana silver cachaca

0.5 oz sweet condensed milk

Dash Bob`s licorice bitters (or other bitters)

Muddle pineapple chunks, sugar and orgeat in shaker, add bitters, sprinkle of lime juice, sweetmilk and cachaca. Shake and strain ( double strain if needed) into a large glass filled with ice. Pour into a large ice filled glass and garnish with a whole (small) pineapple top.

My overall impression with Delicana cachaca is good,  I especially like the gold and I`m intrigued by the orange liqueur – cinnamon spiced, it will be very fun to mix drinks with.