100% Brazilian beverage, cachaça wants to win the world

Pinga, caninha, booze, just so damn pure white evil. The names for the main Brazilian drink are in the hundreds, but is in the knowledge and, more than that, the most famous of them official recognition, the cachaça bet to finally win the world. Protect the title as uniquely Brazilian, as happens in Colombia, in the United States and, soon, in Mexico, is time-consuming and laborious, but is seen by the industry as the way to achieve better results in export.
The main progress in this direction took place in 2013, with the protection of the name cachaca in the United States, today the second largest destination in terms of value. Before that, the sale was made under the name "brazilian rum", also derived from sugar cane that already had regulations. When was the American country in early 2000 to ask the official Brazilian beverage, the Director of international relations of Pitú, Pernambuco Maria Chandra WINS, realized how time-consuming the process could be.
"They said we needed to be recognised as a typical product. They asked ' do you have this title in Brazil? '. We didn't have. ' Have a history of how they sell, the market size? ' Neither. ' So do your homework and then come here '. And that lasted 13 years, "says Mary, who at the time was President of the Brazilian program of development of sugarcane Brandy (Pbdac). The negotiations culminated in the Presidential Decree 4,062/2001, which, in addition to official recognition, paved the way for the Foundation of the Brazilian Cachaça Institute (Ibrac), in 2006.
"It's a job, first of all, the structuring of the sector. Started back in 1997, with the Pbdac and evolving in the process of organization of the House, "says Carlos Lima, Executive Director of Ibrac, now captain the negotiations. Internally, the challenge is to deal with a scope, it is estimated, nearly 15 thousand establishments producing, although no formal cachacas reach 2 thousand. And, abroad, the lack of a forum with world coverage, the negotiation has to be done country by country.
The work of Ant started to give practical results in 2012, with the protection of cachaça in Colombia. A year later, there was the agreement with the u.s. Government, when it was trading correct recognition of cachaça by the protection, in Brazil, of the names Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey. In addition, there is also a term of commitment signed with Mexico in May this year, when the President Dilma Rousseff, on an official visit to the country, officiated the protection agreement of rum and tequila in the two Nations.
The arrangement is seen as a watershed for the rum. "The recognition of Mexico to our product is an important endorsement, and this message is being passed on to the world," Lima, which since 2008 participates in the construction of the agreement with the Tequila regulatory Council (CRT). The agreement assumes this ratio because Mexico, by virtue of its expertise in defense of tequila both abroad and on the domestic market, is seen as a strict country in accepting other distillates.
In addition to setting an example for the Brazilian negotiations abroad, the CRT is also admired by the rum sector have the power to, in effect, autorregular the goods and the sector. "It's like the Mexican Government had tequila producers delegate control and the regulations on what is the drink," the Executive of Ibrac, which, although rate the Brazilian Government as a big supporter, still blames the lack of an empowerment that level by producers of cachaça. "The name tequila has 40 years, and the CRT, 20 years. We're only a decade in this process. We're on our way, "designs.
Market follows global trend of sophistication of other beverages
Outside the example is the tequila, inside the Country who serves as a reference to the cachaça is the wine. Actions taken by wineries, such as creating letters, tasting courses and training of bars and restaurants have joined also the daily lives of cachacas in recent years.
"Gradually, with information and greater purchasing power, consumers are migrating to more elaborate cachaças", attests to Mark, Moacir Bucco, Bento Gonçalves, drawing a parallel with the rise of craft beers. In addition to highlighting the stills, the movement is felt with the release of "premium cachaça" by major industries of the Country. Some of them, like the cearense Ypióca group and the paulista Sagatiba, were acquired recently by global conglomerates (Diageo and Campari, respectively), which endorses the industry's potential.
The simple observation of the Cachaçaria market shelves, in Porto Alegre, reveals this development. If formerly all cachaças wore the same beer bottles, those 600 ml Brown, today there are a plethora of colors and formats among the 500 products from all over the country for sale.
"The sale of quality cachaça increases year after year," notes Oreste Gabardo, owner of the store, opened in 2002 as a complement to the other. Demand was such that the store was expanded in 2006, and two years later, the wine business was abandoned. "The public has been specializing and growing," he says.
In recent years, the massive entry into the Brazilian market of own whiskey, as well as to vodka, turned on the warning light in the sector. The relative novelty would have exacerbated the perception that rum could pass a marginal condition and lower status.
Actions such as the release in July of cachaças licensed Playboy branded by Weber Haus, for example, try to, in addition to making the drink more famous abroad, showing Brazilians that new moment. "Initiatives that help lose bias, something that in recent years we're getting," says Evandro Weber, Director of the company
Europe is a priority for forthcoming negotiations
Even setting up the home, protection of cachaça cannot stop. The next target is the European Community, the largest importer of our distillate and where, currently, any product could use the word rum on the label. "A regulation of use, we're doing for 15 years and is not yet ready. Later we will have to open the negotiations, because they want to swap the rum for 10 thousand things. It's not that simple, "explains the Director of international relations of Pitú, Maria Chandra WINS.
There is also a concern for Australia, which practically makes the rum there by requiring follow rules of ageing of rum and have led to meetings between the two countries. The requirement of at least two years in barrels is restrictive because most Brazilian beverage exported is white, without any aging. "We follow working, too, with Uruguay, and, especially, China, where we are more advanced. I believe we can have news sometime this year, "adds Evandro Weber, Weber Haus Gaucho, also active in Ibrac.
According to the Ministry of development, industry and foreign trade (Mdic), the folder "works for the typical products have a differentiated treatment in bilateral agreements, such as cachaça", as well as a glimpse of great potential for export growth of drink "exclusively and genuinely Brazilian".
Apex assists to increase exports
The Brazil produces, currently, about 700 million liters per year, that moves r $ 1.4 billion. Despite that, of this total, in 2014, only 10.1 million liters were exported (less than 2%, so), to 66 countries. Even so, the number is an increase of more than 10% compared to the previous years and, until the end of 2016, the goal is to expand at 8% more sales.
The goal is part of the second phase of project of the Brazilian Agency of Promotion of exports and investments (Apex) for trade promotion of the beverage. The agreement, renewed in December and lasting for two years, has an investment of r $ 1.6 million from the Agency, as well as counterparts of the 41 companies that joined-including two Gaucho: Weber Haus, of Portsmouth, and Old still, Santa Tereza.
The initiative has as target countries the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, traditionally the country buys Brazilian cachaça. As it also involves participation in fairs and contests, however, is not limited to these Nations. "Cachaça, today, does not lose any distillate world", says Carlos Lima, Executive Director of Ibrac, pointing out the various medals won abroad, most of them by cachacas Gaucho.
"Cachaça is the most versatile, drinks can be consumed pure, cold, hot, with mixtures. We have many opportunities to promote it, "the international business advisor of Apex, Eduardo Caldas. One of the differences is that, unlike other distillates which have default oak, the rum is aged in more than 30 wood, what guarantees variety of flavors.
Protection of the name allows you to invest in more effective marketing, point out the rum as a single product. With that, the intention is to make the drink known, as happens with your main drink. "I've been to more than one place abroad where they said I didn't have cachaça. Then, I held the bottle and said ' Oh, that's what I use to make caipirinha ', "says the Director of international relations of Pitú, Maria Chandra WINS.
The brand, which since 1970 has agreement with German distributor, is today responsible for 20% of Brazilian exports and is next to the São Paulo 51, produced by the Cia. Müller, among the 25 brands of distillates more produced in the world, according to the IWSR Research Institute. All told, the cachaça only consumption for the vodka and the soju, Korean rice-based drink.