In A Nutshell
A new mid-proof citrus cachaca that captures the spirit of Brazil
TCL RATING:
What They Say
“I wanted to create a product and brand that was accessible and refreshing that could capture the energy and excitement of Brazil. Salto’s uniquely refreshing flavour and mid-proof strength will appeal to a whole range of consumers.”
What We Say
Summer in a glass. It’s zesty, it’s spirited and the best bit is, this particular cachaca is light on the alcohol and big on taste. Like its cousin the mojito, in a caiprinha it’s the perfect drink to sip by the pool or barbie.
Ms S
We had a preview tasting of Salto in three exotic Carnival Coloured cocktails created by Fabrizio at Rocket, Lancashire Court, W1 (see recipes below). At home, tasting it neat was a pleasant surprise, it was smooth, sweet and delightfully citrussy – great for sipping over ice. Next we mixed it up in The Brazilian, one of the cocktails featured on the Salto website, annoyingly none of which come with measurements or instructions. No matter, we styled it out with 50ml of cachaca, 25ml of fresh lime juice and a splash of good quality, not too fizzy lemonade. The verdict? A nice and subtle alcoholic lemonade. The subdued taste makes it a good choice to serve to anyone daunted by big tasting spirits or if you’re starting your drinking early in the day (not clever we know but let’s face it, it happens.) Next up, Brazil’s finest export since coffee: the caipirinha. We advise cutting back on the lime as Salto has its own citrus and unless you have a really sweet tooth, go sparingly on the sugar, too. This one is less powerful than your average caipirinha but none the worse for it.
Mr G
This makes a nice addition to the summer drinks store cupboard. Though very much on the sweet side it has a decent enough alcoholic kick making it a good ingredient to play around with. Mixed with lime juice and old style lemonade it’s light and refreshing with just a hint of alcohol. It has pool-side written all over it – just strong enough to feel enjoyable but gentle enough to drink all day. When we moved on the caipirinha it really came into its own. Make sure you don’t overdo the sugar (try starting with just a little and add more if you need to) and you’ll find this makes a very drinkable caipirinha – ideal for a very hot day as an alternative to some stronger long cocktails. But definitely try experimenting with lots of different fruit juices and fresh fruit. We think you could make some pleasing discoveries.
Fun Fact
The Carnival Coloured Cocktails were officially launched in London at the Rio Carnival fundraising evening in aid of the charity ‘Bringing Research To Life’ in March this year to coincide with the Brazilian Carnival.
Recipes
4-5 lime wedges
2 teaspoons sugar
Muddle the sugar and lime wedges together in an old-fashioned glass until the sugar is dissolved and the lime juice is released. Fill the glass with ice and pour in the cachaca.
Samba de la Salto
50ml Salto cachaca
10ml Blue curacao
10ml Lime juice
25ml Passion fruit puree
10ml Passion syrup
Garnish, slice of passion fruit
Method
Shake over cubed ice, pour into short glass and garnish with passion fruit
Citrus Rainbow
50ml Salto cachaca
20 ml Crème de apricot
15ml Napoleon Mandarine
75ml orange juice
Garnish, slice of orange
Method
Shake over cubed ice, pour into martini glass. Top up with crushed ice and garnish with a slice of orange.
Brazilian Flower
50ml Salto cachaca
20ml St. Germain
10ml Elderflower liqueur
10ml lime juice
Top up with 20ml fragoli
Garnish, slice of lemon
Two raspberries
Method
Shake over cubed ice, pour into short glass top up with crushed ice and garnish with lemon and raspberries.
Packaging
Desirability
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