Caipirinha-a Brazilian cocktail

August 26, 2019 SouthAmerica

Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brasil. It is to Brasil what the margarita is to Mexico and the Pisco Sour is to Peru. The drink is made from the alcohol called Cachaça (pronounced something like Kazhaazha, only harder to say), which is similar to rum, but it is prepared differently. The Cachaça comes from distilling fermented fresh sugarcane juice. Preparing Caipirinha dates back to the nineteenth century during the massive sugarcane industry in Brasil.

It is fairly standard to have a Caipirinha with Brazilian steak at restaurants. The ubiquitous nature of the drink in the country is marked by the IBRAC (Brasillian Institute of Cachaça). Many brands exists, although in the U.S.A. stores the selection may be limited to just one, as is often the case with Pisco; and either being available will be in stores with larger selections than your typical corner liqueur store. The Caipirinha drink is very simple to prepare; it will take more time to source the Cachaça.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 fresh lime cut into three wedges

2.5 oz. Cachaca

1 Tbsp. super fine white sugar

ice cubes

optional a lime slice as garnish

Preparation:

Start by cutting the lime into 6 wedges (three per glass). Add one tablespoon of superfine sugar into a highball glass along with the three wedges of lime then muddle using a wooden spoon. Top of the glass with ice, and then add 2.5 ounces of Cachaça, mix well, then garnish with a slices of lime if you like.

The acid balance of lime/sugar may have to be adjusted to taste depending on the lime variety available. Some people use brown sugar instead of white. For a quicker preparation one can use 1 ounce of simple sugar and add one ounce of lime juice instead of muddling the lime wedges together with sugar. If you do not want to use too much Cachaça try reducing it by ¾ ounce and add some club soda to top it off.