What Would Churchill Choose?

“Burning water, please!”

By Sandra Scott

Brasilia is an amazing concept. What is most amazing is that it exists at all. The capital of Brazil, Barsilia was carved out of the savanna in the heart of the country and completed in only three years. Declared the national capital in 1960, the futuristic city designed by Oscar Niemeyer was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The planned city has plenty of green spaces and is divided into residential, governmental, commercial and hotel sectors.

We ended our city tour at the top of the TV Tower for a panoramic view of area. It was only a short walk to our hotel, the Melia Brasilia, which has an eye-catching modernistic lobby. Looking up from the atrium lobby at the arced white floor railings, I know how Jonah felt in the belly of the whale. Each floor level reminded me of huge white ribs.

We were lured to the hotel’s Churchill Lounge and Cigar Bar by the beat of the nightly jazz combo. When we were seated in the comfy leather chairs, our server, Gleysi Leite, asked what we wanted. Gazing at the wall-sized image of Winston Churchill near the bar, I asked John, my husband, “What do you think Churchill would order?”

“Well, I think I read that he loved brandy. But, Brasilia is the capital of Brazil, so I think he would choose a Caipirinha. After all, it’s the national drink of Brazil and made with a brandy-like alcohol.”

A Caipirinha is made with cachaca, which is strictly Brazilian. Like rum, cachaca is made from sugar cane. The major difference is rum is usually made from molasses, a by-product from refineries that boil the cane juice to extract as much of the sugar crystals as possible. Cachava is made from fresh sugarcane juice that's fermented and distilled. The name means "burning water." The history of cachaca goes back to the days when plantation owners began serving the liquid to their slaves after noticing that it would increase their capacity to work.

We agreed. “Caipirinha, please.” Gelsyi, pointing at the menu, asked, “What kind?’

“There are different kinds?” we asked in unison.

“The traditional Caipirinha is made with cachaca, sugar cane and crushed limes and is served over ice. But some people like to replace the Cachaca with vodka and it becomes a Caipiroska. Or I can make it with white rum. Then it is called a Caiprissima,” Gelsyi explained. She went on to explain that she could even make it with absinthe and the lime could be replaced with different fruit.

After looking over the menu, my husband and I agreed that Churchill would choose the traditional Caipirinha. We spent the evening listening to cool jazz while sipping Caipirinhas made with “burning” water.

For more information on Brazil and Brasilia check www.braziltourism.org.

More on Cocktail Atlas about cachaca and the popular Caipirinha.

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