Grassy, sugarcane-bright cachaça softened by the spice and bitter herbs of a red vermouth. It is simple, quick and dark red in the glass, and a splash of Cynar gives it an earthy bitter edge.
1¾ oz
cachaça unagede.g. Ypióca · Leblon · Sagatiba · Velho Barreiro · Pitú
¾ oz
sweet vermouth Italian rossoe.g. Martini · Cinzano · Carpano · Cocchi · Punt e Mes
¼ oz
Cynar (optional)Buy on Amazon →
1 dash
grapefruit bitters (optional)e.g. Scrappy's Bitters · Fee Brothers · Bittermens · The Bitter Truth
Garnish: Orange twist · Ice: Ice cubes
Rabo de Galo
Sweet and herbal with grassy sugarcane notes and a gently bitter finish. Strong and spirit-forward, like a short Manhattan.
Rabo de galo means cock's tail in Portuguese, a literal translation of the English word cocktail. In Brazil the name stands for one specific drink: cachaça mixed with red vermouth, served for decades in simple botecos, the neighbourhood bars of São Paulo and other cities.
A popular account links its rise to the 1950s, when Italian vermouth producers such as Cinzano set up production in Brazil and looked for a way to sell red vermouth to a country that mainly drank cachaça. Mixing the two was the obvious answer. Modern Brazilian bartenders have rediscovered the drink and often add Cynar, which is also popular in Brazil, for a more bitter, complex version.
Cock's tail, a Portuguese translation of the English word cocktail.
Yes, it is made only of cachaça and vermouth, so it is similar in strength to a Manhattan.
A classic Italian red vermouth. Cinzano Rosso is traditional in Brazil, but any good rosso works.
The perfect sound
A bar counter in São Paulo full of stories.
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