Cozy Up With Amburana
Brazillionaire
When most of us outside of Brazil think of Cachaça, we think of tanned, shameless people in barely there swimwear sipping Caipirinhas with the sand filtering through their toes. Or something to that effect. Images may vary (hopefully your barely there model looks good in that bathing suit!) In any event, we equate Brazil's national sugar cane spirit with summer.
Right now, most of us in the Northern Hemisphere are donning puffy clothing and feeling Old Man Winter taking nips at our cheeks. We're deep into brown spirits season, and craving drinks with warm spices and deep layers of flavor.
Which is why we should still be drinking Cachaça.
Last spring we welcomed a new import to the US market, Avuá Cachaça. For those unfamiliar with the product, it is available in a traditional light Prata, but also, in an aged Amburana, which has enjoyed a long nap in Brazilian oak. The resulting spirit has the darker intensity that's an ideal base for the flavors of the season.
Try it in place of whiskey or rum in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan variation, playing around with your choice of liqueurs, bitters and spices. It's also heavenly in a Toddy (just add 2 oz to a mug of hot water with a clove-studded lemon and some honey), or wintry citrus sours (see below.)
So let them frolic on the beaches of Rio! We're all set right here up north with our Amburana cocktails!
This Sour looks Mahhhvelous!
Brazillionaire
Sam Anderson,
1 1/2 oz Avuá Cachaça Amburana
3/4 oz Giffard Banane du Brésil
1/2 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Fresh Pineapple Juice
1/4 oz Cinnamon-Vanilla Syrup
Pinch of Sea Salt
Garnish: Grated Nutmeg
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Double strain in to chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Grate the nutmeg over the drink.
The Marvelous Sour
Hunter Orahood, The Marlton House
2 oz Avuá Cachaça Amburana
3/4 Lemon Juice
1/2 Rich Simple Syrup
1 Egg White
Angostura bitters
Grated Cinnamon
Add all ingredients except bitters and cinnamon to shaker. Dry shake. Add ice and shake again until well-chilled. Double strain into a chilled coupe or cocktail glass. Add a couple of drops of the bitters into the foam, then make pretty swirls using toothpick. Grate cinnamon over your fine rococo masterpiece!
NOTE: The two main keys to this drink are making sure that your syrup and lemons are balanced. All lemons are different so it is important to taste. If you are using 1:1 simple syrup equal parts syrup to citrus is a good starting off point.
Secondly egg drinks can easily be over shaken during the hard shake if using certain ice. So shake just enough to get the drink nice and cold without thinning it out. It's important to double strain and catch any loose ice chips.
Winter in Rio
Winter In Rio
Krissy Harris, The Wren
1.5 oz Avuá Cachaç Amburana
1 level TB Brown Sugar
2 Orange Wedges
.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
Muddle oranges and brown sugar in a mixing tin. Add Amburana and lemon juice. Add ice & shake like hell till emulsified and well-chilled. Pour all contents into a rocks glass. Sip & enjoy!
Saúde!
More information on Avuá Cachaça can be found here.
Follow them on Twitter @AvuaCachaca and be sure to use the hashtag #thrillofdiscovery!