Rum versus Cachaça (plus 2 cocktail recipes)

So it's that special time of year, a time for a huge party. Some may celebrate Carnival while others celebrate Mardi Gras. Either way it is a time for cocktails. Here are two great drinks to celebrate, one Brazilian and one pure New Orleans.

The liquors used in these are often confused, many people think of Cachaça as Brazilian rum. While it could be called a type of rum, this, in my opinion, is an oversimplification. Cachaça, one of my favorite Brazilian imports, is distilled from fermented sugarcane juice and then fermented. Rum is fermented and distilled molasses, a sugar cane derivative.

I am a fan of both.

Caipirinha

1/2 a large lime

1 1/2 teaspoon of sugar

2 ounces of Cachaça

Ice

Slice the lime into wedges. Place in the bottom of an Old Fashion glass. Muddle with the sugar. Add crushed ice. Pour in the Cachaça. Stir.

Hurricane

2 ounces light rum

2 ounces dark rum

2 ounces of orange juice

2 ounces of pineapple juice

1/2 ounce lime juice

1 tablespoon of grenadine

Orange slice for garnish

Ice

Fill a tall glass, preferably a hurricane glass, with ice. Pour the rums, juices and grenadine into an ice-filled shaker. Shake briskly. Strain over the ice-filled glass. Garnish with the orange slice.