World Cup of Wine Semi-Final

The two semi-finals produced one of the most memorable games of all time and one of the most forgettable, which sums up the up and down nature of this World Cup. Thankfully, we're focusing on the former game, although on two spirits rather than wines.

Brazil v Germany

Brazil: the national drink of this large, diverse country is cachaça, more of which is sold in Brazil than vodka is around the world. Cachaça is (usually) a white rum; although Brazil has long been campaigning to have cachaça recognised as a distinct category (only the US has so far proven sympathetic), the only significant difference between it and rum is that it's always made from sugar cane rather than molasses. Brazil is the largest producer of sugar cane in the world, so it's natural that the crop is used for its national drink, as it is for rhum agricole in the Caribbean. The use of sugar cane gives the rum a green, vegetal character, differing it from the cleaner rums of the other Caribbean islands. Internationally, it's most famous for its use in Caipirinha, a refreshing cocktail made from cachaça, sugar, and lime, and with crushed ice.

Abelha Silver Organic (c.£25)

Although cachaça production is dominated by five firms, as ever it's worth seeking out the smaller, more individual producers. Abelha make their spirits organically, which means little or no chemical interference. This is a great example of cachaça, with a characteristically aromatic, fruity nose of underripe bananas and slightly sweet on the palate. They also make an aged cachaça, Abelha Gold, which is highly unusual.

Germany: promoting a drink on the basis that it's so bad it has to be necked to avoid experiencing the drink's flavours doesn't to me seem a good thing: tequila, one of the world's greatest spirits, suffers from this misconception and only has its own industry to blame. Likewise with Jägermeister, a complex drink that's become exculsively associated with Jägerbombs, a horrific mixture of Jägermeister and Red Bull whose sole purpose is to get the drinker as drunk as quickly as possible.

Jägermeister (c.£20)

Jägermeister means "master hunter"

Bitters, or amaro in Italy where they are especially popular, are very dry digestifs made from herbs, plants, or fruits. Jägermeister is a bitter made from 56 different herbs, including ginger, star anise, liquorice, citrus peel, and saffron. It has a long history dating back to the 1870s and, although its perception has been distorted by Jägerbombs, Jägermeister is a fine example of the style of herbal bitters found throughout central Europe. The company is still family-owned and is promoting the drink to younger consumers as served cold on ice, but really Jägermeister is a dry palate-cleanser for after a meal.

spirits result a brave performance from Jägermeister, demonstrating its class away from the stereotype, but a Caipirinha on a summer's day can't be beaten. Brazil 2-1 Germany

actual result after unconvincing victories over Chile and Colombia, Brazil were rather fortunate to find themselves in the semi-final and got found out badly against a ruthless German performance in one of the most astonishing games in footballing history. Brazil 1-7 Germany

the World Cup final is a great wine match-up - see how Argentina and Germany fare in the next blog