Our Take on Academia da Cachaça

Since 1983, Academia da Cachaça has been the unofficial classroom for anyone serious about Brazil's national spirit. Tucked into a corner of Leblon — Rio's most affluent and self-assured neighbourhood — this bar treats cachaça with the reverence a great whisky bar gives Scotch. The result is one of the most focused and rewarding drinks experiences in South America.

The back bar holds more than 100 artisanal cachaças sourced from across Brazil's producing regions: Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Bahia. The bartenders know each one and will walk you through the differences between unaged (branca) and aged (amarela) expressions without condescension. The caipirinha programme is equally serious — ask for a classic, a seasonal fruit variation, or the house version with aged cachaça and raw cane sugar.

The food menu runs to honest Brazilian bar food: pão de queijo, pastéis, grilled linguiça. This is a place that works as a pre-dinner stop in Leblon, a long afternoon session on a Saturday, or a quiet evening when you want to drink well and talk properly. If you care about cocktail bars in Rio de Janeiro, this is mandatory. It also sits close to other hidden gem bars in Rio worth threading into an evening.

What to Order

Classic Caipirinha

Muddled lime, raw cane sugar, branca cachaça on the rocks. The gold standard version in a city full of caipirinhas.
Aged Cachaça Neat

Ask the bartender for an aged single-distillery selection from Minas Gerais. Sip it slowly. This is where the spirit gets interesting.
Caipirinha de Maracujá

The passion fruit variation. Ripe, tropical, slightly tart. An unbeatable combination when the fruit is in season.
Linguiça na Tábua

Grilled sausage board. The essential companion to a second round. Simple and precisely right.