As of right now, the national drink of Brazil isn’t that well known stateside. If the PR savvy makers of Leblon Cachaça have their way, however, the cachaça-based caipirinha will soon be doing battle with the mojito (which I promise we’ll be covering here shortly) for the title of most chic Latin American beverage in North America.

Because of U.S. labeling regulations, cachaça is frequently confused with rum. While rum is made from molasses, cachaça is made from sugar cane juice which makes them relatives, but anything but identical twins when it comes to flavor. As I understand it, most brands of the drink consumed in Brazil are also first-cousins to lighter fluid, but Leblon — the only brand I’ve tried so far — is of a far finer stripe and sells here for between $20-$30. The reason I know the brand is that it is buying influencing writers like me with bounteous alcoholic swag. Not a bad start, to be honest.

I’ve experimenting with the stuff for over a week and what I can tell you is that, like all really interesting booze, it’s a somewhat acquired taste, but I’m enjoying doing the acquiring. It has a complex flavor that is less sweet than rum or whiskey and is closer to dry gin or vodka, but with more than a hint of olives about it and some other odd flavors I can’t quite identify and am still getting used to. It makes an okay martini, but it’s terrific with a few splashes of ginger ale and a lot of ice. I’m sure there are lots of other classic drinks using gin or vodka it could be easily worked into.

So far, the Caipirinha, which is somewhere between and old fashioned and a mojito in terms of preparation, is the most intriguing way to go with cachaça that I’ve found, and it’s about as refreshing on a hot August night as any drink I’ve had. And, no, I have no idea how to pronounce the name of the cocktail, either.

The Caipirinha

2 ounces cachaça
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
1 lime

Cut a good sized lime into wedges. Add sugar and muddle vigorously in a rocks/old fashioned glass. The backside of a spoon won’t do here; you’ll want a proper muddler or a blunt instrument of some sort because you’ve really got to smash the lime wedges and sugar but good to form a sort of juicy paste. Add lots of crushed ice and pour the cachaça over it. Stir with a bar spoon or swizzle stick for maybe 30 seconds or longer to allow a lot of the ice to melt. Sip away.

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The recipe the Leblon people provided me called for the drink to be shaken with vigor for about 10-30 seconds, and you can do so either in a cocktail shaker or by shaking the concoction in the glass itself using a professional-type shaker. My personal opinion is that’s only necessary if you don’t have crushed ice, because you’ll need a way to extract some water out of that ice fairly quickly. If you’ve got crushed ice handy, my way is easier, tidier and, I think, tastier.

Not surprisingly, there are endless variations on the caipirinha theme, many of them involving smashed fruits of various sorts. I haven’t tried any of them yet, but a lot of them sound delicious and you can definitely check out more recipes at the Leblon website. Personally, I’m just thinking about raiding my fridge for whatever fruits are there and seeing what happens.

Sparks have been given a raw deal by time. They may not have been the best or brightest band of their era, but they were making damn interesting, and at times insanely catchy, records of any genre, and particularly for early ’80s synth pop. In a field where you’re only as good as your latest synthesizer, the Mael brothers (Ron and Russell) dared to make art with their keyboards. Pity they’re not given more credit for that.

This song, from their 1982 album Angst in My Pants, is a sentimental favorite because it appeared on the first mix tape (that’s right, we said it, mix tape) that this writer received from the girl who would one day become his wife. We even played it at our wedding, something that we’re guessing the Maels would find amusing. This video is homemade, but it’s cute. The song is really the key here, though. (And for the record, love is not worse than war and worse than death. If it feels that way, you’re doing it wrong.)

Infiniti invited Bullz-Eye out to Pebble Beach for the annual Concours d’Elegance and the introduction of the new Infiniti JX Concept crossover. The new vehicle was unveiled last night at an elegant reception at the famed Lodge at Pebble Beach.

The Infiniti JX Concept is a preview of a new 7-passenger/3-row luxury crossover that joins the Infiniti lineup in spring 2012. The JX Concept was unveiled by Senior Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Shiro Nakamura: “The JX Concept advances the Infiniti design language, sharing design cues of the Infiniti Essence concept, yet interprets those elements in ways suitable to the needs of a family luxury crossover. From the dramatic front grille and headlight design to the crescent-cut D-pillar and greenhouse shape, the JX Concept shines as a fresh, bold alternative to the many flavors of vanilla currently dominating the three-row luxury crossover segment.”

As you can see from the photos above, the JX Concept stands out with aggressive styling. The accessibility and comfort of the third-row seating will also be a major selling point. “With the JX, you will even be able to leave a child seat latched to the 2nd row while getting in or out of the 3rd row – just one example of the vehicle’s inspired flexibility and versatility,” explained Infiniti Americas Vice President Ben Poore. “The 3rd row isn’t the typical penalty box either, with adult-sized room for all occupants and five-and-a-half inches of 2nd row forward-back adjustability.” Learn more about this and other Infiniti vehicles at the Infiniti Facebook page.

Check back as we will be posting more updates from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. This event is one of the premier celebrations of the automobile as only the most beautiful and rare automobiles are invited to appear on the famed eighteenth fairway of Pebble Beach Golf Links each year.

The first day was all about the history and pedigree of the Chevy small block. Today, we experienced how the small block is being used nowadays and a firsthand account of cruising on Woodward. We started the day at the birthplace of ZO6, ZR1, and Grandsport Corvette motors. Then, we cruised Woodward in the Chevy parade and ended the day by sampling applications of the small block in both Chevy cars and others.

The GM Performance Center is where traditional craftsmanship and modern attention to detail meet to create some of the highest performing motors on the planet. Here, every 430hp Grand Sport motor, 505hp Z06 motor and 638hp ZR1 motor take shape. Each motor is built completely by hand and signed by the technician that builds it.

To ensure correct specifications, advanced torque wrenches are used to give the builder a guide when each individual fastener is bolted to the motor. In fact, each bolt’s torque is registered in a massive database for each engine to ensure quality even after the engine leaves the factory. No other facilities offer this level of attention to detail, not even many of Mercedes’ AMG engines.

Not only is every motor built by hand, but if you partake in the Build Your Own program, the hands that build your Z06, ZRI or Grandsport motor could be your own. For $5800, you can visit the performance center, and with the help of a qualified GM engine builder, build your own motor. At the end of the process, your own name will appear on your engine’s build plate.

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If there’s one automotive pilgrimage that must be made by gearheads everywhere, it’s the Woodward Dream Cruise. Located in the automotive Mecca of Detroit, MI, the Woodward Dream Cruise is a weeklong event that celebrates the religion of cars. The Dream Cruise specifically worships the sect of classic American muscle cars with big V8’s, aggressive lines and bad attitudes. All cars are welcome, but these vintage American hulks from a bygone era reign supreme. Today was the calm before these cars are awaken from their slumber and marched towards Woodward Ave. Every year brings something unique, and this year is no exception.

This year’s Dream Cruise marks not only the year of Chevrolet’s centennial anniversary, but also the 100 millionth small block Chevy V8 to be produced. If there were one spokesman for the entire muscle car movement, one defining piece, it would be the Chevy small block. There is no better place to pay homage to this piece of engineering than the Woodward Dream Cruise.

The mission of the Chevy small block was simple: create an affordable engine to bring the power that the marketplace demanded. In 1955, chief engineer Ed Cole completed that task. The result was the Chevy small block.

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