When a couple in Brazil go for an evening out for some samba dancing or dinner, the almost mandatory companion is cachaca, the country’s national spirit. Made from distilling fermented sugarcane juice, cachaca has made an entry into the Indian market. The Diva brand of cachaca (pronounced ka-sha-sha) is being imported and distributed by Aspri Spirits Private Limited.
Arun Kumar, director, Aspri Spirits, said that with the market for imported brands growing, there was potential for the new product category in the 21-45-years age-group segment.
“The odd brands that sporadically crop up in restaurants in India are mass-produced and these industrial products do not place much emphasis on quality. The Diva brand is family-distilled,” he said.
Kumar said that the product will be a new category altogether and need a two-pronged promotional campaign at the trader and the consumer level. “Diva cachaca will be niche only in its category and not in terms of availability. We will also explore the option of making students at hotel management institutions aware of the product,” he said.
The Diva brand will be initially launched in metros and later in tier II cities in phases. Aspri has already imported about 500 cases of the brand, though sales are likely to go up in volume only by the second year. Cachaca, available in India in a 700 ml bottle and priced at Rs 1,370, is most popularly used to make cocktails, especially the famous Brazilian Caipirinha.
Cintia Cardoso de Souza, founder of the Diva brand, said that the four-year-old brand was being exported all over Europe and the Caribbean. “We are entering the Asian market with India first,” she said.
Diva Cachaca produces about one million litres of the drink annually, with a capacity to produce up to five million litres. “The drink is made organically and has an alcoholic content of 40 per cent,” she added.
– Bengaluru Bureau
