Caipirinha, pronounced KAI-PEE-REEN-YAH, is Brazil’s national drink and is as common as beer is in the U.S. I instantly fell in love with this drink because it reminded me of a mojito, one of my favorite mixed drinks. Similar to a mojito, a caipirinha’s star ingredients are lime and sugar. Mojitos have rum while caipirinhas have cachaça (pronounced KAH-SHA-SAH), a sugar cane liquor similar to rum, but not quite the same. However, since Brazil does not export a great deal of cachaça, it can be a challenge to find. Lucky for me, my local Sam’s Wine & Spirits carries several varieties, although the brands that I tried in Brazil were Cachaça 51 and Nêga Fulô.

Caipirinhas are a great way to enjoy a glimpse of spring and summer no matter what time of year it is. It’s sort of a nice tropical escape inside the comfort of your home and at your own leisure. A sip of caipirinha surely reminds me of everyday Brazilian culture as a carioca.

Caipirinha Recipe

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 1

Ingredients

• Half a lime, core stem removed and sliced in wedges (about 5 wedges for every half lime)
• 1-2 tablespoons superfine sugar, depending on your taste
• Ice, enough to fill a cocktail glass
• 2-3 ounces cachaça, depending on the size of your glass

Tools

• Short cocktail glass
• Paring knife
• Muddler
• Cocktail shaker

Preparation

1. Place lime wedges and sugar in cocktail glass. Using a muddler, mash until the sugar is dissolved into the lime juice.
2. Fill the glass with ice up to the brim; the colder the drink, the better!
3. Transfer contents of the glass into a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour contents back into the glass (ice too!). The drink should be well chilled and frothy.

Selina’s Notes

• Superfine sugar really makes a difference because granulated sugar will not dissolve into lime juice well. A good substitute would be simple syrup.
• The amounts vary and take practice to master according to your taste preferences. I personally like mine a tad sweeter to balance the strong bite of the cachaça…
• Much like the mojito, this recipe is a base/vanilla version and can easily be modified to be flavored with fresh pomegranate, peach, mango, or other types of fruits. Of course, the original will always be the caipirinha’s true form, but sometimes it’s fun to add a twist.
• As a warning, while caipirinhas are a fabulous drink to enjoy, having too many caipirinhas is not recommended either