South American Journal

Cachaça is to Brazil what rum is to the Caribbean. It's the national distilled spirit.

In the Pelourinho of Bahia, O Cravinho (literally, "The Little Clove") is a restaurant/bar owned and run by Julival Santos Reis, a gentle man with the manner and appearance of a field biologist.
At O Cravinho, cachaça is taken as seriously as a wine in France, beer in Germany or tequila in Mexico. Sr. Reis will gladly and knowledgeably discuss (in Portuguese) the various distilling methods and types of wood used in barrels for aging cachaça.

Find out more about Pelourinho and other Bahian attractions at Bahia Online.