Cedilla Liqueur de Açai from Maison Leblon in Patos de Minas, Brazil is an exotic, delectable liqueur made from the pulp of the açai berry macerated in Leblon Cachaça, and blended with native ginger root, Brazilian orange peel, and natural cane sugar. The result is a singularly delicious and colorful liqueur that is perfect on its own or used in a variety of cocktail and culinary recipes. 

A cedilla is a diacritical mark for pronunciation of a "C" which has a little "tail"; in this case, cedilla is a playful reference to the "ç" in the word açai (pronounced ah-sigh-ee). Cedilla Liqueur de Açai is the latest spirits release from Maison Leblon, the makers of Leblon Cachaça.

Cedilla Liqueur de Açai: has 25% alcohol, an attractive claret color, and is made from the pulp of USDA Certified Organic açai handpicked berries from Sambazon. Açai berries resemble blueberries, with the exception of a rather large pit in the middle, and are rich in antioxidants, amino acids, calcium, and healthy omegas, and grow in clusters atop 50 foot palm trees on biodiverse agro-forestry land in the Amazon region of Brazil in the states of Amapá in the far north, and Pará.

From Berries to Liqueur: Maison Leblon Master Distiller Gilles Merlet macerates the açai pulp for one month in Leblon Cachaça, a Brazilian alcohol made in an alambique from freshly crushed sugarcane juice to meld the flavors, and finishes it by blending native ginger root, Brazilian orange peel, and natural cane sugar.

Açai on the Tree 

Tasting Notes: The aromatic nose is fruity, ripe with rich berries, with a hint of citrus, orange peel, chocolate, and ginger, with the luscious flavors following through on the palate, with the ginger giving it slightly spicy finish.

With its lower alcohol level, it is delicious served as an aperitif, added to champagne (The Rio Royale), to a Caipirinha or a Margarita, or used in any number of cocktail recipes.

Açai Berries ready to be processed into
Cedilla Liqueur de Açai  

To showcase the versatility of Cedilla Liqueur de Açai, Luxury Experience Mixologists Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta created a diverse selection of cocktail and culinary recipes to tempt your palate.

The Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Cocktail and Culinary Menu
All Recipes created by Luxury Experience Mixologists
Debra C. Argen and Edward F. Nesta

The Cocktail Recipes

Luxury Experience's Brazilian Kiss
Luxury Experience's Love Letter
Luxury Experience's Heritage

The Culinary Recipes

Luxury Experience's Crème de Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Crème Brûlée
Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Ice Cream
Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Cheesecake

The Cocktail Recipes

Luxury Experience's Brazilian Kiss is a refreshing long drink that combines Cedilla Liqueur de Açai and Leblon Cachaça, homemade lime and lemon simple syrup, and Bigelow Green Tea. Close your eyes, take a sip, and imagine you are relaxing on one of the pristine beaches of Brazil.

Luxury Experience's Brazilian Kiss
Yield:              1 Cocktail
Glass Used:    Highball Glass

Cocktail Ingredients:

1	Ounce	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
1	Ounces	Leblon Cachaça
1	Ounce	Homemade Lime and Lemon Simple Syrup
3	Ounces	Bigelow Green Tea with Blueberries
4		Ice Cubes
		Fresh Mint, garnish

Method for the Simple Syrup: Juice 1 lime to equal ¼ ounce, juice half a lemon to equal ¼ ounce, and pour into a saucepan. Add half a cup of sugar and cook over low heat to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and set aside when mixture starts to boil. Let cool. Can make ahead and store in the refrigerator in a covered glass jar.

Leblon Cachaça and Cedilla Liqueur de Açai

Method for the Cocktail: Boil 1 cup of water, and 1 tea bag, cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Let cool. Can make ahead. In a large shaker glass, and all ingredients (with the exception of the mint) and shake briefly to incorporate ingredients. Strain into a highball glass filled with ice. Garnish with mint.

Luxury Experience's Love Letter is a delectable cocktail that will "send you" and combines Cedilla Liqueur de Açai, Leblon Cachaça, Clément Créole Shrubb Liqueur d'Orange from Martinique, lychee juice, and orange juice.

Luxury Experience's Love Letter
Yield:               2 Cocktails
Glass Used:     Martini Glass

Ingredients:

1	Ounce	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
1.5	Ounces	Leblon Cachaça
0.5	Ounces	Clément Créole Shrubb Liqueur d'Orange
3.5	Ounces	Lychee Juice
2	Ounces	Orange Juice
8		Ice Cubes
		Blueberries, garnish (optional)

Method: Chill 2 Martini glasses, set aside. Add ingredients to a metal shaker, shake until metal is frosty. Strain into chilled Martini glasses. Garish with blueberries (optional).

Luxury Experience's Heritage is a sophisticated cocktail that celebrates Brazil's heritage with Portugal, and combines Cedilla Liqueur de Açai, Leblon Cachaça, Port, Club Soda, agave nectar, and diced kiwi, red grapes, and cantaloupe.

Luxury Experience's Heritage
Yield:               1 Cocktail
Glass Used:     Wine Glass

Ingredients:

0.5	Ounces	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
0.5	Ounces	Leblon  Cachaça
0.5	Ounces	Port
1	Teaspoon	Agave Nectar
2.5	Ounces	Club Soda
1	Tablespoon	Diced, Mixed, Fruit: Kiwi, Red Grapes, Cantaloupe
		Kiwi Garnish

Method: Add diced fruit to a wine glass, set aside. Add ingredients to a mixing glass, stir, pour over ice in a wine glass. Garnish with a slice of kiwi.

The Culinary Recipes

Brazilians are fond of "salgadinhos" pronounced "sal-gawd-geen-yos," which are hors d'oeuvres, and "doces" pronounced doe-sees, which are desserts. A taste of Luxury Experience's tempting recipes using Cedilla Liqueur de Açai and you will be fond of salgadinhos and doces, too.

Salgadinhos (Hors d'oeuvres)

Luxury Experience's Crème de Cedilla Liqueur de Açai is a delicious, easy to make filling to pipe onto crudities, or spread onto toast points or crackers; it may just become your favorite "house" hors d'oeuvres.

Luxury Experience's Crème de Cedilla Liqueur de Açai

1	Medium	Red Onion, finely diced, to equal 1 cup
1	Tablespoon	Butter, melted
		A Few Grains of Sea Salt
1	Tablespoon	Sugar
1	Ounce	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
0.25	Cup	Mascarpone
1	Tablespoon	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
		Toast and Assorted Vegetables (zucchini, cippoline, snap peas, celery)

Method: Melt the butter in a small skillet; add the onion and salt, and sauté until the onions are translucent. Add the sugar and caramelize the onions, then add the Cedilla Liqueur de Açai and cook for 1 minute. Set aside to cool. Process in a food processor until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of the Cedilla Liqueur de Açai and the mascarpone and process until smooth. Place in a covered glass jar and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to let the flavors meld.

Presentation: Blanch snap peas and cippoline (small, flat onions) for 1 minute, then shock in ice water bath. Drain and dry. Pipe the crème onto cippoline, snap peas, zucchini, celery, or other assorted vegetables and toast points using a pastry bag, or spread with a knife.

Doces (Desserts)

Cedilla Liqueur de Açai is a lovely addition to dessert recipes, adding a unique taste that can change an ordinary dessert and make something very special. Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Crème Brûlée allows the rich flavors of açai to shine in the delicate custard that is enhanced with a burnt sugar crust and topped with a dollop of whipped cream flavored with Cedilla Liqueur de Açai.

Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Crème Brûlée
Serves:     4 

Ingredients:

1 ¾	Cups	Heavy Cream
1/3+	Cup	Sugar (1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon)
6		Egg Yolks
¼	Cup	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
4	Teaspoons	Sugar
1/3	Cup	Heavy Cream
2	Teaspoons	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
2	Tablespoons	Sugar
		Micro Mint Leaves, garnish (optional)

Method: Preheat oven to 325° F/163° F. Butter crème brûlée or ovenproof custard cups, and set aside.

Beat egg yolks with sugar. Let rest. Add heavy cream to a saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Pour the hot cream slowly into the egg yolk and sugar mixture and whisk together. Stir in the Cedilla Liqueur de Açai, and pour the mixture into the prepared cups.

Place the filled cups in a glass pan filled halfway up the sides with hot water. Bake for 40 minutes. Let cool. Cover, and refrigerate overnight or for several hours, to set the custard. The custard must be very cold to create the brûlée crust.

Method for Brûlée: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar on each of the custards. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar. Alternate method: Place the custards on a baking sheet in the oven under a broiler to brown the sugar. If using the oven, take care not to burn the custards. Refrigerate the custards for at least an hour before serving.

* Note: I prefer to use a kitchen torch, as it is easier to control the browning of the sugar.

Presentation: Whip heavy cream with the Cedilla Liqueur de Açai and the sugar. Spoon or pipe a dollop of flavored cream on the Crème Brûlées. Garnish with tiny mint leaves if desired.

Whenever we are in Brazil, we love eating "açai na tigela," which is frozen mashed açai, served either in a bowl or blended into a smoothie, oftentimes mixed with banana, and topped with granola. Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Ice Cream has a similar taste and mouth feel with the flavor of açai that captures the essence and the taste of Brazil.

Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Ice Cream
Yield:        1 Quart  
 
Ingredients:

3	Ounces	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
1	Ounce	Leblon Cachaça
4	Ounces	Wild Dried Blueberries

Method for the Blueberries: Place blueberries in a medium glass jar, add the Cedilla Liqueur de Açai and the Leblon Cachaça; cover and let marinate for several days, and then process in a blender until smooth.

Ingredients for the Ice Cream:

3		Eggs
2	Cups	Half & Half (or Light Cream)
2	Cups	Heavy Cream
1	Cup	Sugar

Method: Beat eggs and Half & Half (or Light Cream) together in a large saucepan. Add sugar. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until thickened (just starting to boil); approximately 10 minutes. Mixture should coat the spoon. Let cool, and then add heavy cream. Refrigerate overnight.

Process batter in an ice cream maker until it just starts to firm up, add blueberry mixture and continuing processing until thoroughly mixed and firm. Remove mixture to a container to freeze.  Serve with or without granola.

Add Cedilla Liqueur de Açai to a cheesecake recipe and let magic happen. Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Cheesecake is a delectably creamy and rich cheesecake.

Luxury Experience's Cedilla Liqueur de Açai Cheesecake
Pan:      6-inch Springform
 
Crust Ingredients:

3/4	Cup	Nabisco Nilla Wafer®, finely ground
1/8	Cup	Sugar
1/4	Cup	Butter
1/8	Teaspoon	Vanilla
		Small Pinch Salt

Method: Preheat oven to 350° F/177° C.

Process ingredients in a food processor until mixture begins to clump together. Spray a 6-inch springform pan with baking spray. Press mixture onto the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Set aside.

Filling Ingredients:

16	Ounces	Cream Cheese
2		Eggs, large
1/4	Cup	Sugar
4	Teaspoons	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
		Small Pinch Salt

Method: Blend in food processor. Pour mixture onto crumb mixture. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Top will be puffed and lightly golden. Remove from oven. Let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Topping Ingredients:

4	Ounces	Cedilla Liqueur de Açai
4	Tablespoons	Dried Wild Blueberries
3	Tablespoons	Sugar

Method: Marinate the dried wild blueberries in the Cedilla Liqueur de Açai for a few hours or overnight. Strain the mixture into a saucepan, and set blueberries aside. Add the sugar to the saucepan with the Cedilla Liqueur de Açai, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce slightly to create a syrup, remove from heat, and let cool for 3 minutes. Add the blueberries to the mixture and carefully arrange syrup and blueberries on top of the cheesecake. Refrigerate for several hours until serving time.

Whether you opt to enjoy Cedilla Liqueur de Açai as an aperitif, in a cocktail, or use it in culinary recipes, the ways are endless. 
  
Regarding Cedilla Liqueur de Açai, please visit the website: www.Cedilla.com.br  or follow them on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CedillaLiqueur.

Cedilla Liqueur de Açai and Leblon Cachaça
41 West 25th Street, 5th Floor
New York, New York 10010
United States
Telephone:  +1-212-741-2675
Website:      www.Cedilla.com.br 
Website:      www.Leblon.com
Facebook:    www.Facebook.com/CedillaLiqueur
Facebook:    www.Facebook.com/LeblonCachaca

© March 2012. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com  All rights reserved.