🥃 Caña

Caña is the name, in the Spanish-speaking MERCOSUR countries, mainly Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, of a strong spirit made from sugarcane. Under MERCOSUR rules, transposed into Argentina's Food Code, caña is 35–54% vol. It is obtained by fermenting and distilling cane juice, syrup or molasses.

Varieties. The code distinguishes three names. Caña is a distillate of juice, syrup or molasses; it may be aged and coloured with caramel. Caña argentina is 34–54% vol., made from food-grade molasses spirit with flavourings and caramel, with up to 30 g/l of sugar; above 45% it may be called «caña doble». Caña paraguaya is made only from sugarcane syrup (miel de caña), boiled down over an open fire.

Caña paraguaya. Under the 2019 revision, the distillate is brought to 68–72% vol. and diluted to 35–45% vol.; sugar up to 2 g/l. «Añeja» means at least a year in casks of oak or another suitable wood of up to 700 litres; flavoured versions also exist. In Annex 13-C of the EU–Mercosur agreement, Caña Paraguaya is listed among Paraguay's geographical indications.

Among cane spirits. Rum under the same code is also 35–54% vol., but must keep the aroma of its raw material. Brazilian cachaça is a separate name for a distillate of fresh cane juice. The Harvard University journal ReVista calls cane aguardiente the «older brother» of rum, about which very little has been written.

Why it matters to you. The word «caña» on a label may refer to various drinks — from a distillate to a coloured spirit with flavourings — so check which name is on the bottle. ReVista warns of counterfeit cane alcohol containing methanol in the region, so choose only bottled products from legal sales. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.