Cocktail Hour: What To Do With Salto Cachaça

Cachassa. Cachatha. I still don’t have the faintest clue how to pronounce this ultra-gorgeous Brazilian sugar cane spirit, but I’ve not seen a bottle of booze go that quickly since the last whisky of winter.

The name might be unpronounceable (to me, anyway), but you’ll recognise it from such yummy drinks as the Caipirinha. Salto is apparently lower-alcohol than most Cachaça brands, but at 24% it’s hardly cough syrup.

I whizzed up these two before a dinner party to a slavering reception– needless to say, my cooking was decidedly slap dash afterwards – and, dare I say it? It was really rather nice to have a break from gin.

Caipirinha

Ah, the legendary Caipirinha – demonic source of many a hangover. I tried this in a highball first and was knock-out drunk within five minutes, so I’d recommend a dainty tumbler.

Yes, yes, I’m using ice cubes. Crushed ice looks well and dandy, but it dilutes your booze.

• Salto
• Four lime quarters
• 2 tsps sugar
• Ice cubes

Muddle – glorious word – your limes and sugar in a cocktail shaker or large glass so you’ve pressed out a good whack of juice and your limes are looking pleasingly destroyed.

Pop everything into a tumbler and add three or four cubes of ice. Top up with the Salto. Chin chin!

Cachaça Champagne cocktail

A lovely twist on a classic drink. This wouldn’t have occurred to me at all, but came recommended by a hungover colleague who knows his booze. The citrusy Salto gives a really gorgeous zing and layers of flavour – we all agreed this was even better than a Caipirinha.

• Few drops angostura bitters
• Sugar cube ( I bought the rather gorgeous La Perruche ones because they came in a lovely box)
  
• Salto
• Champagne/cava
  

Pop your sugar cube in a flute and soak with the bitters. Add about two inches of Salto, and top with fizz. Delicioso!

A 75 cl bottle of Salto is about £14 from good supermarkets