Several artisanal cachaça distilleries operate in the hills and farms around Paraty, and visiting one is a worthwhile half-day trip. The most established operations offer tours of their stills and ageing barrels, followed by tastings of their aged (envelhecida) and premium varieties. The best Paraty cachaças are pot-distilled in copper alembics from locally grown sugarcane, then aged in different types of native Brazilian hardwood barrels — amburana, jequitibá, and others — each imparting its own character.
The Caxambú, Corisco, and Paratyana brands are all available in town. The municipal market near the bus station sells bottles from smaller producers at reasonable prices, and this is a far better souvenir than anything in the tourist shops of the historic centre.