What happens when a chemical engineer and an agronomist with a PhD in post-harvest agricultural engineering get together with a shared vision? A zero waste cachaca distillery that produces some of the finest spirits to come out of Brazil: Novo Fogo. In their own words, founder Fulgencio Torres Viruel and master distiller Dr. Agenor Maccari recognize their role as just one piece of the puzzle in their brand’s story: “Novo Fogo is unique because of the junction of our people and the strategies we use to make our cachaça, and the place where we make it.”
Their natural approach to growing and processing sugarcane likely plays a big role in the final flavor of their spirit. Using organic growing methods, they also rely on indigenous yeasts as an expression of terroir: “...the unique characteristics of place matter, too: the climate and soil and the kinds of wild yeasts that ferment our sugarcane juice make our cachaça different from the rest” offers Maccari.
A commitment to whole picture sustainability while being mindful of the natural resources is central to their entire business. As Torres explains “[the] goal is to produce excellent cachaça while respecting the environment and our employees.” They have taken extra steps to ensure certification from a Brazilian organization that complies with USDA organic requirements.
After hand cutting and natural fermentation of the sugarcane it is distilled in copper pot stills, of which only the purest selection of distillate is chosen. As one of the foremost experts on aging Cachaca, Maccari oversees the aging process with the goal of offering the world a unique and high quality flavor, expanding the category of sugar cane spirits:
“When we develop a product, we look to make something new! We seek to create colors, aromas, and flavors that showcase our personality and express Novo Fogo’s standard of quality. The goal is to make cachaças that are innovative and bring richness and complexity to the world of cachaça.”
On the horizon for Novo Fogo is more experimentation with different types of wood for specialty aged cachacas. While most of the aging is done with American oak, they are also using a rare and native Brazilian wood for finishing, releasing limited bottles of a Two Woods series similar to previous special releases, including 2017 Chairman’s Trophy winner Tanager Cachaca.
