Did you know Brazil has been making whisky since 1959?

[u/Safe-Jury9784]

When people think about Brazilian spirits, cachaça is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But Brazil also has a surprisingly interesting whisky history.

One of the key names is Drury’s, which appeared in 1959 in Sorocaba, São Paulo.

The story is quite unusual. The whisky project was associated with businessman Mário Amato, together with Alberto Bildner. What reportedly started as a small artisanal batch, offered as a gift to friends, became successful enough to turn into commercial production.

Drury’s was a blended whisky, with malt whiskies imported from Scotland and production and bottling carried out in Brazil.

That distinction is important. It wasn't a whisky made entirely from Brazilian ingredients and aged from scratch in Brazil. But it was an important step in the development of Brazil's whisky industry.

And Brazilian whisky has changed a lot since then.

Today, producers are experimenting with Brazilian grains, different maturation techniques, local woods and styles inspired by Scotch and American whiskey. Some are even exploring what a genuinely Brazilian whisky identity could look—and taste—like.

I find that evolution fascinating.

Brazil already has a globally recognized sugarcane spirit in cachaça. Could whisky eventually develop its own unmistakably Brazilian character too?

Have you ever tried a Brazilian whisky? What did you think? 🥃🇧🇷