From Cane to Glass: The Journey of Cachaça

Cachaça is a traditional Brazilian spirit made by distilling fermented sugarcane juice. It ranks in the top three most consumed spirits in the world. Cachaça is a protected geographical indication (GI) product by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply. This means that no other country is allowed to produce a spirit with that name, even if the same production process is followed.

Cachaça was originally considered a drink for slaves, but it has now evolved into Brazil’s national drink, celebrating its rich history and culture.

This article provides a summarised overview of the production process, offering consumers a clearer understanding of how this traditional spirit is crafted.

The Production Process: An overview of the main steps

Sourcing the Sugar Cane:

Brazil accounts for roughly 25% of the global sugarcane production. Due to the size of the country, environmental factors (terroir) such as climate, soil type, and altitude vary significantly between regions, which in turn influences the flavours, sugar concentration, and the overall characteristics of the sugarcane. The terroir is one of the many factors that allow for flavour variation in the different Cachaça brands.

Once the sugarcane is harvested, it is important to get it to the distillery as soon as possible. Any delay in processing could lead to contamination, oxidation, and sugar loss, negatively affecting the final product.

Milling and Fermentation:

Sugarcane consists of two main components, namely the fibres and the juice. The juice, which contains water, sugar, and other organic and inorganic compounds, is extracted through milling. The sugar within the juice ferments into alcohol, while the remaining compounds contribute to the spirit’s final flavour profile.

The juice can either be allowed to naturally ferment through the wild yeast cultures present in the air, or it can be controlled by adding specific yeast strains, which allows for specific flavour and aroma development.

Fermentation typically takes up to 3 days to complete, resulting in a fermented juice with a typical alcohol content of between 9 and 11% ABV (depending on the initial sugar concentration).

Distillation:

Distillation is a process where alcohol is separated from the fermented liquid.  Various still designs are available, each impacting the purity and complexity of the distilled spirit. Cachaça production can be divided into two main distillation methods: batch distillation or continuous distillation.

The batch distillation (artisanal method) produces smaller quantities of high-quality cachaça with distinctive flavours and aromas influenced by the still’s design and the distiller’s expertise.

Continuous distillation (industrial method) utilizes large stainless-steel column stills to produce large quantities of cachaça with a more uniform taste and aroma but less complexity compared to batch-distilled cachaça.

The choice of distillation method is often determined by factors such as the scale of production, desired flavour profile, and economic considerations.

Various styles and types of batch-operated stills are available. The most traditional is the copper alembic pot still. A copper alembic pot still has less reflux compared to column stills, removing less of the aroma and flavour compounds that originated from the sugarcane juice and fermentation. Cachaça produced in these stills can bear the label "Cachaça de Alambique," a designation associated with premium quality.

Typically, two distillations occur.

The first distillation separates the ethanol and flavour compounds while leaving behind water and non-essential components. This initial distillate is referred to as "low wine."

The second distillation further purifies the low wines, separating them into three fractions, namely the heads, hearts, and tails.

Heads are the first portion of the distillate. This fraction contains low-boiling-point compounds, including toxic methanol, which is discarded. Hearts are the second fraction and contain mostly ethanol and other flavour compounds. This is kept as this is the desirable portion of the distillate. Tails contain lower ethanol concentrations but may have valuable aroma compounds, which the distiller may choose to retain or discard.

Properly separating the heads, hearts, and tails is a critical step in producing high-quality Cachaça, which requires skilled distillers.

Ageing:

After distillation, cachaça can either be diluted and bottled immediately or can be aged in wooden barrels to enhance the flavour and smooth the spirits.

Brazilian law mandates that aged cachaça must contain at least 50% of the spirit matured in wooden barrels for a minimum of one year. Premium cachaça is aged for at least one year, while extra-premium cachaça must be aged for at least three years. While oak is the primary wood used for spirits ageing worldwide, native Brazilian woods such as amendoim, araruva, and cabreúva offer flavour characteristics due to the extraction of unique compounds.

During ageing, the spirit extracts colour, aroma, and flavour compounds from the wood, while volatile compounds evaporate, reducing harshness. The colour of the spirit turns from clear to light yellow or even dark brown, depending on the ageing duration and the type of barrel. Residual volatile compounds will also evaporate which will reduce the “sharpness” of the spirit.

Final Adjustments and Bottling:

After the ageing process, the spirit is diluted to a bottling strength of 38 to 48% ABV. Up to 30 g/L of sugar may be added, depending on the desired sweetness level.

Before bottling, the cachaça undergoes filtration to remove any residual particles, ensuring a clear and refined final product.

Conclusion:

Cachaça has come a long way from its early association as a drink for the poor and enslaved. While this article simplifies the production process, crafting this spirit, whether at a craft or large-scale, involves a great deal of science and expertise.

To learn more about the legislation and labelling requirements of cachaça in more detail, check out our article, “Cachaça Unveiled: Understanding the Spirit Through a Legislative Lens.”