It isn’t easy to understate the importance of cachaça during my time living in Brazil. For over a year, I’ve tried to learn as much as possible about the distilled spirit. I’ve visited distilleries, read books, watched Instagram Lives, read essential publications. And like so much of life, there’s still so much I have yet to learn. I’ve written dozens of blog posts. People from all over the world have taken a
peek at Cachaça for Gringos. And still, I’m just a beginner.
Experts are people who know more than others about a given subject. But when the breadth of knowledge is extensive, it’s nearly impossible for any single person to know everything. That’s what is so interesting about cachaça, the range of the products and the breadth of understanding spread amongst hundreds of different people from all over Brazil.
While sampling cachaça is essential, listening to the community of people who study and appreciate the beverage is just as important. It does no good to sit in a room alone, creating Instagram posts or blog posts about different cachaça brands, without interacting with others. The purpose of cachaça at this moment is to bring people together. Whether an individual “gets” cachaça more is like looking at an abstract piece of art. Or any piece of art, for that matter. Interpretations will always be different.
What I mean to say is that not consuming cachaça provides clarity that is much needed. Understanding or trying to get people to understand a product that they mostly don’t have access to is quite tricky. People must be actively interested in this spirit if they want to find it. They need to go online, dig through their local liquor stores, find others who are also interested. This community, this blog, isn’t just about me. It’s about every person reading these words looking for further understanding and hoping to find some.
I hope I’ve been able to provide transparent information in a mildly entertaining way. From week to week, I struggled with producing writing that matters, particularly to non-Brazilians. Brazil has its own set of exquisite writers who understand cachaça and the community. My hope is and always has been to connect these people with a broader English-speaking audience.
Having taken an extended break from Cachaça for Gringos, and having not jumped back in the way that I wanted to, I’m not here to make promises. I’m here to say that I will continue to keep the flow of information coming. I’ll do what I can to pass along whatever I learn and write about the cachaça experiences I have. This is something that matters to me, and hopefully, it matters to you as well.
Stay tuned for more, and thanks for reading.