Published December 16, 2015
The cocktail craze has brought many previously-neglected spirits to prominence in recent years. American consumers who once turned their nose up at anything other than vodka are now obsessed with bourbon, artisanal tequila, and stranger liquors like chartreuse. One spirit that is poised to benefit from America’s newfound taste for exotic imbibables is cachaca, Brazil’s national liquor.
Cachaca is a snappy, spicy, and sweet clear liquor made from fermented sugarcane juice. It is most well known for being the base for the Caipirinha, a cocktail of cachaca, lime, and sugar that tastes like Brazil’s beaches in a glass. Although cachaca has traditionally only really been available in Brazilian restaurants in the US, it is growing in popularity, and with good reason. Cachaca is complex yet light, and it’s highly mixable. Artisanal cachacas made in traditional copper pot stills are becoming more available in America, introducing US drinkers to the wide variety of flavor profiles the spirit can have.
One incredibly exciting thing about cachaca is that it’s the only widely available spirit in the world that can be aged in the rainforest woods of Brazil. Most of the flavor of aged spirits comes from the barrels in which they are aged, and the exotic woods used for cachaca have flavor profiles that are unfamiliar to most drinkers.
Cachaca seems like it may take the same path in the American drinking market that tequila did recently, as American consumers discover the variety and quality of a spirit that was previously seen as a one-trick pony.
Read the full article here: A Complete Guide to Cachaca: Brazil’s Most Popular Spirit
Published December 16, 2015
Desserts are often thought of as the opposite of healthy, indulgences that will have to be worked off with gym time. However, the overall focus on healthy foods in the restaurant industry has begun to influence dessert offerings, with desserts becoming smaller, lighter, and stuffed with superfoods. Trendy fruit like acai berries, mangosteens, and goji berries are becoming more popular on dessert menus. White sugar is becoming passe, and alternative sweeteners like agave syrup and honey are rising in prominence.
Read the full article here: Dessert Trends Get Healthy, Reflecting the Wider Culinary World
Published December 16, 2015
You’ve got the perfect tables and chairs. You hired great designers to mold you walls, ceiling, and light fixtures exactly to your needs. You’ve selected the correct flatware and glasses. What’s missing from your restaurant? Sound design! Very few people want to eat in a restaurant that becomes a roaring din when it’s busy, but modern design elements like bare hardwood floors, exposed brick, and tile can make sound reverberations in your restaurant unbearable. A piece from FSR Magazine has some tips about reducing noise in your restaurant to an acceptable level.
Read the full article here: Aural Ambiance Plays a Key Role in Restaurant Design
Cachaca is Coming on Strong
The cocktail craze has brought many previously-neglected spirits to prominence in recent years. American consumers who once turned their nose up at anything other than vodka are now obsessed with bourbon, artisanal tequila, and stranger liquors like chartreuse. One spirit that is poised to benefit from America’s newfound taste for exotic imbibables is cachaca, Brazil’s national liquor.
Cachaca is a snappy, spicy, and sweet clear liquor made from fermented sugarcane juice. It is most well known for being the base for the Caipirinha, a cocktail of cachaca, lime, and sugar that tastes like Brazil’s beaches in a glass. Although cachaca has traditionally only really been available in Brazilian restaurants in the US, it is growing in popularity, and with good reason. Cachaca is complex yet light, and it’s highly mixable. Artisanal cachacas made in traditional copper pot stills are becoming more available in America, introducing US drinkers to the wide variety of flavor profiles the spirit can have.
One incredibly exciting thing about cachaca is that it’s the only widely available spirit in the world that can be aged in the rainforest woods of Brazil. Most of the flavor of aged spirits comes from the barrels in which they are aged, and the exotic woods used for cachaca have flavor profiles that are unfamiliar to most drinkers.
Cachaca seems like it may take the same path in the American drinking market that tequila did recently, as American consumers discover the variety and quality of a spirit that was previously seen as a one-trick pony.
Read the full article here: A Complete Guide to Cachaca: Brazil’s Most Popular Spirit
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