A recently listed traditional Brazilian spirit is already outperforming flavoured vodkas, according to Waitrose.
Waitrose listed the 38% abv Sagatiba as its first cachaça - a spirit made from sugar cane - and a rise in popularity of the homemade cocktail has fuelled sales, said the retailer’s spirits buyer, Giles Fisher.
“We are seeing growing popularity of cocktails at home and the Caipirinhia cocktail, within which cachaça is a key ingredient, is driving some of this demand,” he said.
Elsewhere cachaça brand Pitú has been focusing on growing awareness through the on-trade in the UK. Nick Milne, sales director for Pitú’s distributor, Hall & Bramley, said: “This kind of spirit relies on word-of-mouth really, but the rise in popularity of the Caipirinhia cocktail is definitely helping.”
Sagatiba, which means The Infinite Saga in Brazilian, is available in a 70cl bottle (rsp: £13.49).