The Cachaça Revolt, motivated by tax increases and the prohibition of brandy production and sales in colonial Brazil between 1660 and 1661, resulted in the revocation of that prohibition. The drink became a symbol of cultural identity, a national heritage, and an expressive force in Brazil's economy.
On the 26th, historian Luiz Antônio Simas and producer Haroldo Carneiro will discuss cachaça at an event in Lapa, featuring samba and cocktails prepared by bartender Igor Renovato. Simas will speak about the influence of cachaça on samba, on macumba, and on the corner bars of Rio de Janeiro.
Haroldo Carneiro, responsible for the brands Cachaça Sete Engenhos and Quissamã, will address the history of the drink's production in Rio de Janeiro. He will also discuss the tradition of Rio de Janeiro's sugar mills in cachaça manufacturing.
Simas highlights that the drink crosses various spheres of Brazilian culture, from Afro-Brazilian religious rituals, stating that "the saint also drinks," to the corner bars of the outskirts and the tables of Rio's South Zone. Cachaça is present at parties, spiritual rituals, and in popular wisdom, connecting different layers of Brazilian society.
