A strong local sugarcane spirit distilled on São Tomé from cane grown for the plantations. It is the island’s aguardente, drunk at festivals and poured freely.
Unlicensed distilling is illegal almost everywhere, and running a still without discarding the volatile head is what leaves methanol in the bottle.
What goes into it
- sugarcane juice
- water
How it is made
Cane is crushed and the juice fermented for several days in barrels, then distilled in a simple still — often built from drums with a copper coil cooled in water. It is bottled clear and unaged, and both the strength and the cut vary between producers.
How long it takes: days to ferment, then a day to distil
How it is eaten
Neat in small glasses at festivals, and sometimes steeped with cocoa or fruit afterwards.
History
Sugarcane spirit distilled on the island from cane grown for the plantations, the local aguardente drunk at festivals.
Frequently asked questions
What is Cacharamba?
Cacharamba is a wine & spirit from São Tomé and Príncipe: strong local sugarcane spirit. Sugarcane spirit distilled on the island from cane grown for the plantations, the local aguardente drunk at festivals.
How is Cacharamba made?
Cane is crushed and the juice fermented for several days in barrels, then distilled in a simple still — often built from drums with a copper coil cooled in water. It is bottled clear and unaged, and both the strength and the cut vary between producers. It takes days to ferment, then a day to distil.
Can I make Cacharamba at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Unlicensed distilling is illegal almost everywhere, and running a still without discarding the volatile head is what leaves methanol in the bottle.
What goes into Cacharamba?
Sugarcane juice, water.
How is Cacharamba eaten?
Neat in small glasses at festivals, and sometimes steeped with cocoa or fruit afterwards.
