The Hindu Business Line : Brazilian drink Cachaca to be unveiled here

Bangalore, Dec.3 Brazil’s traditional white spirits’ drink, Cachaca (pronounced Cashasa), produced by Diva Distilleries will now be launched in India.

The head of Diva Cachaca, Ms Cintia Cardoso de Souza, told Business Line that initially the drink will be made available at all retail outlets as well as at hotels and pubs. “It is the right time to enter the Indian market,” Ms Cardoso de Souza said.

The spokesperson of the India-Brazil Chamber of Commerce, Mr Mauro Federici, said the drink will be marketed by Aspri Spirits which also distributes brands of other foreign liquor companies in India. Aspri Spirits’ spokesperson, Mr Arun Kumar, said Cachaca expects to sell about 500 cases (of 12 bottles each) during the first 12 months. From the next year, the number of cases could go up to between 1,000 cases and 1,500 cases, Diva Cachaca official, Ms Carolina Goncalves Harboe, said. A 700 ml bottle of Cachaca will cost Rs 13,678 in India. The drink has about 40 per cent alcohol content.

Once Cachaca is accepted by the customers here, Diva Distilleries might look at the possibility of bottling it in India, Mr Federici said. Diva has about 1 per cent share in the $1-billion export market of Cachaca.

There are several companies which make Cachaca but only a few like Diva make premium quality Cachaca, Mr Federici said. The drink which is made from sugarcane can be used to make cocktail as well as in food dishes or in milk shakes.