Nice little feature on us by Esquire magazine, along with Cabana and Ypioca. Click the image to read the whole article.
Incidentally, my favourite other brand cachaças that are available here in the UK - am I supposed to say this on here? - Beija Flor Pura for taste, and Leblon for the marketing and product story.
We pleased to announce that Coe Vintners are now distributing Abelha Cachaca to bars and restaurants around London.
If you already purchase from Coe’s, just ask your rep. If not, get in touch with them on
+44 (020) 8551 4966 or via their website www.coevintners.com/. Or get in touch with us directly on the contact page.
Pictures from our Annual Surf Trip and Strategic Vision Alignment Management Camp. Caipirinhas on the beach at Woolacombe Bay, North Devon.
In case you’re wondering why it’s called surf show, when it clearly isn’t actually a show, it’s because in Brasil, they love the english word “show” and frequently misuse it to mean something that isn’t a show at all. Hence you might see a little hot dog vending cart called HOTDOG SHOW.
Abelha Cachaca was proud to support the re-launch of the famous Naked Turtle in East Sheen. The restaurant / cocktail bar renown for it’s high quality jazz and great drinks is back with a vengeance. Given a complete make-over, the place now sparkles with the same energy as the jazz numbers that fly off the keys each night. The launch was a special evening. It kicked off with Bruce Forsyth unleashing his inner tiger and breaking the red tape; drinks and music then flowed all night.
The Naked Turtle is the home of Dee Livingstone’s all-singing team of waitresses from the BBC1 talent show and the night kicked off with their a capella rendition of Candyman. Victoria Hart (www.victoriahart.com) was back at the restaurant where she was ‘discovered’. She was followed by a number of other excellent performers – all no doubt destined for stardom as well.
Paddy and Dee, the Naked Turtle’s inimitable hosts, are always on hand to chat and welcome guests. They are a perfect combination for the restaurant and are at the centre of its excellent music and drinks. As well as the waitresses, most of the rest of the team are also partial to taking the mike. I am told that Angus, the current sommelier definitely does NOT sing, but ask any of the others and they’ll probably give you a pitch-perfect rendition of your favourite tune.
With bar stool tables at the front, dining room, a cosy seating area and a new garden, the Naked Turtle is a bar for all occasions. Get down this summer for a caipirinha in the garden or book in for a sumptuous evening of great food and jazz… maybe start the evening of relaxation off with Dale DeGroff’s Aphrodisiac cocktail: Abelha Gold and Grand Marnier.
The Naked Turtle, 505-507 Upper Richmond Road, London SW14 7DE. TEL: 0208 878 1995
I’m just back from hanging out at the fazenda (farm) in Brasil. We talked a lot about cane, yeast, fermentation, distillation (I talked in very bad Portuguese), tasted a lot of cachaça, and even managed to get a day’s surfing in too. So a great trip all round.
Seriously though, we’ve been discussing feedback from everyone here in the UK with our distillers and and trying to work out ways which we can make Abelha even better in the future.
We also have the first run out of an Abelha that’s been aged for 6 years in oak, which is absolutely delicious. More news to come on that, but in the meanwhile, here’s a few picture highlights of Bahia.
Our farm in the Chapada Diamantinha
Treehouse on the farm
Nice graffiti in Salvador
Love this little street coffee cart, especially the fact it’s a 6 wheeler
Cachaça Store in Salvador
Our friend Will’s bar, Casita, has just been placed at 17th in the Worlds Best Bars, in Class Magazine.
Casita is an absolutely uniquely good place to drink in London, so this is a well deserved award. It has the kind of warm and hedonsitic atmosphere of a really good seasonairres bar, coupled with excellent cocktails, right in the middle of London.
We’re proud to have him stock us as cachaça of choice and you should go there for a caipirinha. Or hit them up on their Facebook group.
Casita
5A Ravey St London, EC2A 4QW
All the mixologists in London, you can stop working on Abelha drinks now… I found this link on my Google Alerts via Phil at Cachacagora
Q What’s the strangest drink you’ve ever been served?
A In South America, there are large and sleepy bees and the kids wrap cotton threads around them while they’re asleep so they end up on a leash. I was served a drink that consisted of cachaca and champagne poured over honeycomb. One end of the string was tied around the honeycomb; on the other end was a live garnish. As the honeycomb slowly dissolves, the string releases and the bee flies away.
Max Warner, Chivas Regal, Brand Ambassador, interviewed in the Sydney Morning Herald
I have got to try this. Apparently you can stun bees by putting them in the freezer for 5 minutes, at which point they are drowsy enough to tie a thread around. Here’s a video of someone flying a bee on a string.
However, until summer comes and bees appear, we have only Pedro Souza dos Santos, the Abelha Office Dog. On the plus side, he has a lead already, on the downside, he would eat the honeycomb.
The Abelha Office Dog, with Lead. Not a suitable cocktail garnish.
On the same day as a similar sounding event, Sunday the 29th March 2009, we will race two actual goats along a difficult, meandering course lined with cheering spectators.
It’s a charity event we’re putting on in collaboration with Magic-Ish (and Cookie and Nicky) to help raise money for Spitalfields City Farm, situated just behind Brick Lane.
Spitalfields City Farm is a charity which aims to promote, amongst other things, animal welfare and sustainable farming practices, things which are right down our alley.
So come down, browse Brick Lane market and cheer on the goats, then come for a free caipirinha at the Dragon Bar down on Shoreditch High Street.
=====Programme=====
2:00pm doors open
Donation £3 to enter. (100% of all money taken goes straight to the farm). Includes a free caipirinha.
Amusements:
** The Official Goat Race Bookie and Sweepstake
** Goatee Knitting Race
** Remote Goats in Coats on Boats which Float in Moats Game
3:30pm The Race Starts
4:00pm Prize giving ceremony
4:30pm Afterparty at the Dragon Bar
=====Dress Code=====
Strictly: Black Tie, Rowing lycra, boat club jackets and ties, or goat.
=====Date and Location=====
Sunday March 29th
Spitalfields City Farm, Buxton Street, London, E1 5AR
Click here for map
Nearest tubes: Whitechapel 5 mins, Bethnal Green 5 mins, Aldgate East 5 mins
So that’s it.
It’s going to be loads of fun - if you want to come, why not get involved with the pre-race banter on the Facebook event page here.
Our friends at Barrio North are putting a load of parties for carnival this weekend, with the last due being Tuesday the 24th. There’s £3 Abelha caipirinhas all night, free brasilian food, samba and b-boys. DJ Limão is playing a load of Rio Funk and carnival tunes and it’s also raising money for Action for Brazil’s Children.
For those of you that haven’t been, Barrio North is a latin vibe DJ bar on Essex Road (Angel tube is 5 mins), great cocktails, friendly staff, and gets dancey-busy with a good looking N1 crowd Thursday through til Saturday. They also have a goddamn caravan right in the middle of the bar, and serve a mean caipirinha (made with the finest small batch cachaça from Bahia - that’s Abelha Cachaça, for those of you who are slow to catch on!!) too.
Monday night sees the Abelha research lab knock up a take on a martinez. Really good, the vermouth and cachaça round each other out, and the maraschino brings it all together.
50ml Abelha cachaça gold (3 year aged)
50ml Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth
2 bar spoons Luxardo maraschino
2 dashes of orange or grapefruit bitters
Stir over ice until cold, then strain into a chilled martini glass.