User:PontaDasCanas

"Ponta das Canas"
"Ponta das Canas" is translated from Portuguese as "Sugarcane Point" in English. It is the name of a sugarcane plantation which produces a 150 proof type of Rum in Brazil1. It is variously named "Cachasa"(phonetic spelling), "Pinga", "Arguadente", and other slang terms.v I grew up often going there on vacations. When I was little, the mill was in operation. Two wheeled wooden carts pulled by oxen brought the sugar cane down from the steep hill where they grew. The sugar cane was milled, producing a greenish liquid which was then fermented. The fermentation vessels where huge hollowed out logs, about 20 feet long and 3 feet in circumference. The fermented liquid was decanted to the still, the pride of any moonshiner! The still was made of pure copper. The fermented liquid was heated, then passed through a vertical helix made of copper, where it condensed, and produced the final product.

Ping is generally drunk mixed with lemon juice and sugar, a drink known as a caipirinha. As with any rum type of drink, where the alcohol is masked by sugar and fruits, the drink can sneak up on you quite quickly! After two drinks you become a happy Brazilian!

"The word CACHAÇA is a source of controversy.

CACHAÇA Its history dates back to the time of slavery when blacks worked on sugar production and sugar cane plantation.

To produce the sugar cane, slaves crushed the cane. The juice obtained was boiled until a pasty mass(molasses) was formed and placed into molds to cool. When cold, the molasses was used to sweeten the drinks.

It happens that sometimes the boiled juice soured and not turned into paste. Not to be physically punished, the slaves hid the syrup to which they called “cagaça”. On the next day when they returned to continue the boiling process, the syrup was found fermented.

To hide their mistake, slaves mixed the old sour molasses with the new one  and the two were led to the fire to boil. The result was that the old ‘sour’ molasses  turned into alcohol that evaporated during boiling and formed  gutters on the roof. These leaks were the ‘cachaça’ already formed that dripped constantly. Hence the name ‘PINGA’. When the drips hit the slave’s backs, marked by the switch cane and physical punishment, it burned a lot and therefore the slaves  named these dripping  as “AGUARDENTE’ (burning water). As they worked, slaves also noticed that when the cachaça dripped on their faces and ran into their mouths, they felt happy, docile, they felt cured of depression caused by nostalgia for their homeland and they want to dance. And whenever they wanted to stay happy they let the leaks drip into their mouths.

Also as the flesh of swine they ate was hard, they used the soured juice to soften it. During colonial Brazil the pigs were known as ‘cachaços’. Hence the name “CACHAÇA”."

1 http://www.royalrio.net/site/cachaca-pinga-or-aguardente-lets-find-out-what-is-the-correct-name/ 2 http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/cocktails/cachaca.asp