The Brazilian spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice is cachaça.
Cachaça is Brazil’s most popular distilled spirit and has been produced there since the 16th century. Unlike many rums, which are commonly made from molasses left after sugar crystallization, cachaça is traditionally made from fresh sugarcane juice. The juice is fermented with yeast and then distilled, producing a spirit usually bottled between 38% and 48% alcohol by volume.
The drink is closely associated with Brazil’s national cocktail, the caipirinha, which combines cachaça with lime, sugar, and ice. Cachaça may be clear and unaged or matured in wood, with aging adding color and changing its aroma and flavor.
A common mix-up is calling cachaça simply “Brazilian rum.” The two spirits are related because both come from sugarcane, but Brazil legally protects the name cachaça for its distinctive national product. In a 2013 agreement, the United States recognized cachaça as a distinctive Brazilian product and a type of rum.