There were letters exchanged this week between U.S. and Brazilian government officials recognizing, in an official manner, the definition of each country's respective booze - Cachaça from Brazil, Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskeys from America. This move will help protect these liquors from being produced by copycats who, for example, might want to make a quick buck by slapping a "Tennessee Whiskey" label on a bottle of backyard distilled moonshine without following the U.S. laws and regulations pertaining to the manufacture of that fine product and then trying to sell it in Brazil. And the same goes for selling only approved Cachaça in the States.
It was a big coincidence for me that both of these alcohols were in the news, because last month I wrote a poem about them for no other reason than I like the color of lime, and lime is a key ingredient in Caipirinha, Brazil's national cocktail made with Cachaça. I've updated the last line to take these new events into account.
Above the Shadows
Above the Shadows
Caipirinha,
From the word caipira.
In Brazil
That's the same as hillbilly
In America.
I read it on
Wikipedia
How it’s a drink
too.
Mostly, that
is,
It’s a drink.
Brazil’s
national cocktail,
Mulled lime
and sugar
With cachaça
On the rocks
in an old fashioned glass.
I try to
imagine
An American
cocktail,
The cocktail
of the United States,
The Hillbilly.
American
bourbon with an infusion of coffee beans.
A dark
concoction, like the back woods where tree shadows clogged
The paths
and I learned to hang onto
the long notes of songs about love gone wrong.
Caipirinha
Light,
bright, clean
Crisp
Fun
Above the
shadows
Green.
Can I trust that the ice clinks in a drink that meets all standards and specifications?
Once I sought your delightful, dancing lime peels to lift my spirits,
Now I ponder with furrowed brow the question of your authenticity.
The shadows hang low over my hillbilly attitude.
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