While commiserating over missed vacations and travel during a Zoom call with my regular drinking companions, one person announced that they booked a trip to Rio de Janeiro in the carefree pre-pandemic days of early 2020, but are still waiting to make the trip, as Carnaval was cancelled for 2021 and 2022.
For those unfamiliar with Carnaval, it is held every year just prior to Ash Wednesday, which signifies the beginning of Lent, that six-week period of prayer, self-denial, and basically no fun at all.
Since Brazil is home to more observers of the Catholic faith than any other country, it only stands to reason that they need to throw a huge party to get their ya-yas out before six weeks of repentance and woe.
Carnaval is typically a six-day bacchanalia in February, with the exact date varying depending on when Easter falls each year, and is widely believed to be the world’s largest festival, with two million people crowding the streets of Rio de Janeiro every day.
The first Carnaval was held in Brazil in 1723, and was based on the ancient pagan spring festival of Saturnalia. The Catholic Church has a long history of co-opting pagan festivals for their own use, so the feast of Saturnalia was modified into a solemn and dignified affair to mark the beginning of Lent, entirely devoid of impropriety or excess. The holy fathers were less than impressed when Carnaval descended into the lewd and salacious hotbed of depravity that it is today, but the locals seem to prefer it this way!
This accursed pandemic caused Carnaval to be cancelled in 2021 and 2022, for the first time in more than a century, after partying hard through two world wars and decades of military dictatorship without missing a year. I am hopeful that Carnaval will return in February of 2023, fully of sexy salsa dancing the streets, sexy costumes and floats, sexy frozen drinks with slices of fresh fruit, and plenty of sexy Brazilians looking sexy.
Until then, I will be celebrating Carnaval this year with a bottle of Cachaça in the solitude of my windowless wine cellar, as I wait out the waning days of the fourth wave. For those not familiar with Brazilian hooch, Cachaça is widely known in the southern hemisphere as Brazil’s national spirit.
Cachaça is made by fermenting fresh sugarcane juice, then distilling it into a potent spirit. Some people refer to Cachaça as Brazilian Rum, as the taste is somewhat similar. Purists may insist that since Rum is made from the molasses left over from sugar production, Cachaça is a more noble spirit, but let’s not split hairs.
It turns out that Cachaça is by far the most popular booze in Brazil, with per capita consumption of around 8 litres. Remember, that’s 8 litres of a distilled spirit, which would correspond to around 100 litres of beer, or 50 litres of wine.
The history of Cachaça goes back to the early 1600s, when Brazil was still a Portuguese colony. The peasant workers toiling in the sugarcane plantations would collect the freshly pressed cane juice and let it ferment in the sun for a stiff drink at the end of a work day.
Much like the story of Rum in the Caribbean, or Gin in Victorian England, Cachaça was originally considered a poor man’s drink, with the upper classes preferring French Brandy.
However, as time went on, the stigma disappeared, and the Cachaça spirit was enjoyed by those from all walks of life.
It turns out that cocktail culture is alive and well in Brazil, with the most famous cocktail being the Caipirinha, made from 4 wedges of crushed ice, muddled lime, sugar, and 2 ounces of Cachaça.
Think of a Caipirinha as a slightly sweeter version of a Mojito, then think of knocking them back while doing the samba at Carnaval and you’ll get the idea.
While available only in Brazil for many years, the Caipirinha cocktail exploded onto the international scene about a decade ago, and is now available in fancy cocktail bars the world over.
Luckily, we can now find bottles of Cachaça at well-stocked booze merchants in Alberta. My personal favourite is the Leblon Cachaça, which is the leading exporter of premium Cachaça.
Aged in vintage Cognac XO casks for up to 6 months before bottling, this is a premium liquor, but can be widely found for around $35 in Alberta. Pick yourself up a bottle and bring some tropical joy to this endless winter!
