The government and some producers are pushing to industrialize the sugar cane-based spirit to boost its popularity around the world, while small farmers fear losing their livelihoods.
By the end of Prohibition, distilled spirits made up more than 75 percent of alcohol sales.
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‘Fast liquor’, aged in months rather than decades, is the holy grail for distillers who are trying techniques ranging from using special barrels to blasting their brew with ultrasound.