Cachaça is Brazil's national spirit and one of the oldest spirits in the Americas. Outside Brazil, most people only know it from the caipirinha. Yet there is a whole world inside the bottle: fresh sugarcane, copper pot stills and a tradition of ageing in woods you will not find in any other spirit.
What is cachaça?
Cachaça is distilled from fresh sugarcane juice. That is the key difference from most rums, which are made from molasses, a by-product of sugar production. Because the juice is fermented right after harvest, cachaça keeps more of the fresh, grassy character of the cane.
The name is protected: only spirit made in Brazil may be called cachaça. Brazilian law also requires an alcohol content between 38 and 48 % ABV. All FRONTEIRA cachaças are bottled at 39 % ABV.
Cachaça de alambique from Minas Gerais
The finest artisanal cachaças come from small distilleries that use traditional copper pot stills (alambiques). The state of Minas Gerais is considered the heart of this tradition, and it is where FRONTEIRA is made. Only the "heart" of the distillate is kept, the finest part between the heads and the tails. Learn more on our Our Craft page.
Beyond Oak: the woods of Brazil
Whisky, rum and cognac are almost always aged in oak. Brazil takes its own path: cachaça may be aged in many native woods, and each one shapes colour, aroma and flavour in its own way. This is what FRONTEIRA is about. We call it Beyond Oak.
Oak: the familiar starting point
Oak is the wood most spirits lovers already know. It brings structure, depth and gentle toasted notes. At FRONTEIRA, oak is the reference point from which the journey into Brazilian woods begins.
Amburana: warm and inviting
Amburana is probably the best-known Brazilian wood for ageing cachaça. It brings warm notes of vanilla, cinnamon and soft caramel and a velvety, gently sweet texture. For many, Amburana is the perfect first step into aged cachaça. Try it on its own as AMBURANA or together with oak as OAK & AMBURANA.
Bálsamo: spiced and herbal
Bálsamo reveals a more mysterious side of Brazil. The wood gives cachaça an expressive interplay of herbs and spice, with hints of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg. If you enjoy bold, complex spirits, this is your wood: BÁLSAMO or OAK & BÁLSAMO.
Jequitibá: elegant and delicate
Jequitibá is a gentle wood. It lets the character of the sugarcane shine through and adds a silky, floral elegance. In our OAK & JEQUITIBÁ it meets oak and shows the refined side of Brazil.
Quatro Madeiras: all four together
Our signature cachaça QUATRO MADEIRAS unites oak, Amburana, Bálsamo and Jequitibá. Six years of ageing bring together vanilla, caramel, honey, spice and floral notes in a long, balanced finish.
Natural colour, from the wood alone
The colour of our cachaças comes only from ageing in wood. We use no colorants. Every shade from pale gold to deep amber tells you how long, and in which wood, the cachaça has matured.
How to drink aged cachaça
Aged cachaça shows its best neat, at room temperature, in a nosing or tulip glass. A few minutes in the glass help the aromas open up. If you enjoy whisky, rum or cognac, you will feel at home right away and still discover something completely new. It also shines in cocktails, for example in an Old Fashioned with cachaça instead of whisky.
Ready to rediscover Brazil?
Explore all six expressions in our shop and find out which wood suits you best.
Still curious? Find quick answers about cachaça, rum and our expressions in our cachaça questions & answers.