Cachaça is a South American spirit made from the fermented juice of the sugar cane plant. It can also be referred to as aguardente, caninha, or pinga. Since cachaça is made from sugar cane, it is in the same general family as rum. A primary difference between cachaça and rum is that rum is typically made from molasses (a byproduct of making sugar), while cachaça is made from sugarcane juice.