Hard to pronounce but easy to enjoy, cachaça (ka-SHAH-sah) is Brazilian rum distilled from freshly pressed sugarcane. Cabana Cachaça’s master distiller visited Summerlin’s Via Brasil earlier this week to meet the Vegas chapter of the U.S. Bartenders Guild and to discuss in depth the history of cachaça, the national spirit of Brazil, and the Caipirinha, the country’s national cocktail. To make the quintessential Caipirinha, muddle lime quarters with sugar in a rocks glass. Add Cabana Cachaça and ice. Shake and top with club soda. Or, blend yours with seasonal fresh-fruit juices and leite condensado (sweetened condensed milk), and you have a Batida.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Cabana Cachaça

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 lime, quartered

Splash of club soda

Garnish with a lime