Catching the mood
Brazil is perhaps not the first country which comes to mind for absinthe production, its image being primarly of a European drink. However, since August 2000, Uniland of São Paulo, owner of the successful Cachaça Coral brand, has been producing Absinto Camargo, primarily for the home market but now eyeing export to other South American markets and Australia.
Mario Reuter Camargo, who co-created the brand with Italian distiller Remo Lovisolo – formerly distiller for Cointreau, Luxardo Maraschino, Strega and Martini explained the history behind Camargo’s launch: “In 1995 I visited th SIAL show in Paris and continued a holiday trip which included Prague, where I met absinthe. It was an interesting drink, but at that time we were developing other products such as Cachaça Coral and exports of other Brazilian foodstuffs.
“From 1998 Uniland became more focused in alcoholic beverages, and also the international gossip around absinthe was increasing with some brands becoming available in the UK. We considered importing a brand but put that idea aside once Brazilian law permitted production and we had a distillery and a genius like Mr Remo as our partner. So we started researching to produce the green fairy locally. Based on a 1900 French distillation book and after importing some of the necessary herbs, the first test runs occurred in 1999. After many adjustments to quantities in the formula, production steps and tasting, we entered the registration papers. The product registration took a long time due to the standard government bureaucracy and the development of thujone testing, which was not then available.
“In 2000 we developed the first thujone tests in Brazil with the University of Caxias do Sul, utilizing gas chromatography and masss spectrometry. With the results in our hands, the Ministry garanted us permission to sell the brand. Thujone quantities accepted in Brazil are the same as in Europe, i.e 10mg thujone per Kg of beverage.”
Absinto Camargo comes in at 54% abv, hefty by the standards of most spirits but lower than the numerous European absinthes which climb into the high 60s. For the domestic market, being based in São Paulo is a definite plus. The city of 15 million people has an extremely lively nightlife. Reuter told Drinks International: “It’s also a fashion epicenter. People here travel a lot and are eagerto consume new vanguard products. Although rejection for the anis flavor is high absinthe has become a trendy dink used as a base for many cocktail such as Caipsinthe – a registered trade mark- which is caipirinha made with absinthe. “ The brand retaisl at between US$26 and $31 per bottle in the on-trade, somewhere between Johnnie Walker Red and Black respectively.
Away from the core brand, Uniland also offers the RTD Absinto Camargo Ice, produced with Absinto Camargo, lime juice, sugar and carbonated water. This was launched in October 2000 in a longneck bottle with a twist-off cap and with an alcohol level untypical of a premix – of 75% abv. It is selling well in Brazil, with negotiations under way to export to the rest of South America and also Australia. In development is a second tier absinthe product, witch will be low in terns of anis flavor and be sold on the basis of an “Amazon” appeal, containing various “special” herbs.
As for the developing absinthe market, Reuter opined: “ I feel we’re only in the beginning as there’s so much to be taught to the market, for example the absinthe ritual and the “louche” effect. So far absinthe is seen as a high alcoholic beverage by the in-crowd, with something else inside, they don’t know what it is……. There’s a long road to travel until people will have it as a cool ritual diluted drink exploring the pleasures of the right glass, the spoon and sugarcube…… half the pleasure of a drink is; the histori, the serving, the glass, th mixture, the ixe, the looks, the place, the company, the music… did I forget something ?”
Fonte: Drinks International
