I know, I know you’re asking what the hell is a Caipirinha? It’s the national cocktail of Brazil, a combination of cachaça, lime, and white sugar. I know, I know you’re asking what the hell cachaça is? It’s a sugarcane liquor. No, it isn’t rum. Rum is generally made from molasses while cachaça is made from the fermentation and distillation of fresh sugarcane juice.
It used to be nearly impossible to get a Caipirinha in the US because of the rarity of cachaça. That is slowly changing as the market in the US has started to see high quality brands enter the country. I’m pretty open about my admiration of the Brazilian people and culture and when I realized cachaça was appearing on American liquor store shelves I rushed out to purchase some and make Brazil’s most recognizable cocktail.
Caipirinha
- 1 2/3 oz. cachaça
- 1 lime quartered
- 2 tsps white sugar
Muddle lime and sugar in an old fashioned glass. Fill the glass with crushed ice and add cachaça.
Caipirinhas are delicious, smooth and refreshing. Not too sweet and with a hint of bitter from the oils in the lime peel. Though they are also strong. Make sure you stir the drink after adding everything to incorporate the lime juice and sugar into the alcohol. They remind me a lot of a mojito minus the mint and with more sour from the lime. Tasting this good and being this simple the Caipirinha might be the perfect cocktail for summer evenings.