As Brazil Gets Hotter, So Does Its National Drink

[Blue_Tires]

Mardi Gras or Carnival?

Although most Americans tend to celebrate Mardi Gras, there is a growing group of people who are stepping to a samba beat and enjoying the Brazilian celebration of Carnival.


Cabana Cachaca came up with several different recipes based on local tastes. Pictured here is the Chicago Dog Caipirnha, which includes a sport pepper, cucumber, lime, sugar and celery salt.
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No doubt, with upcoming events like the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, more and more people will become aware of Brazilian culture. That’s a trend that hasn’t been lost on the makers of cachaça (pronounced “ka-SHA-sa,”), the key ingredient in Brazil’s classic cocktail, the caipirinha (pronounced “kai-pur-EEN-ya”).

Several cachaça brands have been working hard to promote the category, educating consumers about the spirit, and doing outreach with bartenders and restaurateurs to teach them how to incorporate it in cocktails and on menus.

The effort appears to be paying off. One brand, Leblon Cachaça, was recently designated as a “rising star growth brand” by Beverage Information Group. The award is given to brands that are less than five years old and have shown dramatic growth.

Sales of Leblon have been growing at a double-digit pace, which is even more impressive when one considers that Americans slowed their liquor consumption last year.

Leblon is using Carnival, which ends tonight, as a way of encouraging bars and restaurants build events around cachaça-based drinks. The company’s promotion focuses on “Caipi Hours,” which feature specially priced caipirinhas cocktails made from cachaça and freshly muddled limes and sugar.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/35424904