The Caipirinha

The most famous Brazilian cocktail is not a particularly difficult one to make and does not require any unusual ingredients.

I’ve seen several recipes for caipirinhas in English, which vastly underestimate both the ice and sugar needed, and will result in an entirely unappealing cocktail.

Ultimately, you want a balance between the liquor, the tartness of the lime, and the sweetness of the sugar, so feel free to adjust until you find the combination that meets your taste. This version has worked well for me:

Ingredients

1 Lime cut into 8 sections

 2 tablespoons of sugar

 1 tumbler full of ice

 1 shot of cachaça (I’ll usually add an extra half shot, just for good measure)

After cutting the lime into pieces, place it carefully in your mixing glass (the larger, the better because you will need to stir). Make sure the flesh of the lime is facing up.

Next, put in the sugar. You will need a muddler, or some other hard instrument, to muddle the ingredients. You don’t need to beat up the limes, merely get the juice out.

 After muddling, add ice, and then cachaça. Stir carefully. Serve in a tumbler or even a Collins glass.

 While this is the traditional method, for those without bar equipment, there’s the frozen caipirinha.

 In this simpler version, just skin the lime, then add all ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth and icy. The result should be a bit thick, so if it’s watery, just add a bit more ice.

 Enjoy!