Novo Fogo

The distillery behind Novo Fogo cachaça has been in operation since 2004, although the brand was only launched in 2011. In Morretes, at the foot of Pico do Marumbi in the Serra do Mar mountains, the distillery grows its own organic sugarcane.

Every effort is made to respect the environment in the best possible way. Chicken manure and bagasse are used to fertilize the fields. Fruit trees are planted on the farms. These attract birds, which in turn rid the crops of harmful insects. Weeding is carried out manually, and is coupled with the planting of ground cover to limit the development of weeds.

Environmental responsibility at the heart of the Novo Fogo project

The distillery is carbon neutral, even negative. Numerous details help to achieve this performance. Instead of using motorized pumps, liquids are circulated by gravity. Distillation heads and tails are used as fuel for the still's boiler, or as fuel for the plant's vehicles. We are also committed to planting as many trees as possible, which naturally absorb the Co2 produced during production.

The Novo Fogo team also recognized the problem of using endemic wood species in cachaça production. In Brazil, there are over 500 distilleries. As a result, certain tree species are threatened by the manufacture of thousands of barrels. The aim is to raise awareness among coopers and distillers, while planting hundreds of new endangered trees.

Production of Novo Fogo cachaça

The pure cane juice is pressed using a small mill. The bagasse is reused to fuel the still's steam boiler. It can also be added to the compost to be spread on the fields.

Fermentation is carried out using yeast from the farm's own cane. Fermentation lasts an average of 18 hours, producing a 9-11% must. Distillation takes place in a traditional copper still, in a single pass. Only the heart of the toast is kept, representing 130 liters per batch.

The cachaça is then rested for a year in vats for Novo Fogo Silver. Aged cachaças are matured in retoasted bourbon casks. Aging lasts one year for Chameleon, and 2 to 3 years for Barrel Aged. Finally, we have a double maturation in bourbon and arariba casks for Tanager. Read less