Entering the third week of confinement in New York, I thought we might need a little cocktail to buck us up! Here is a recipe for a great Caipirinha!
The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar, and lime. Cachaça, also known as caninha, is Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage.
There are many stories about the origins of this cocktail: the most popular one I read originates from the city of Sao Paulo and dates back to the end of World War I. The original recipe was prepared as an elixir to fight the Spanish Flu. It was made of cachaça, lemon, honey, and garlic. The lemon was used for its high vitamin C content and the cachaça contained the alcohol necessary for the absorption of vitamins in the body. Not sure what they used the garlic for, but it’s a good idea they got rid of it with the time!
Ingredients for one glass:
1-2 juicy limes (depends on how juicy they are)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (sugar cane or brown sugar)
2 ounces (5cl) Cachaça
Crushed ice
1- Cut the lime(s) into three to remove the core (the source of bitterness). Discard the seeds if any. Cut each part in two.
2- Crush the lime wedges with the sugar (always) using a small pestle or the handle of a wooden spoon to extract the maximum amount of juice. Don’t press the lime too much, as this also releases bitterness.
3- Add the crushed ice, the cachaça, and stir until the sugar dissolves. If the taste is too citrusy add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar.
4- Pour the contents, including the ice and the lime, into a glass.
5- Garnish with a slice of lime.
The beauty of the Caipirinha is its simplicity. So sit down, relax, and enjoy the cocktail! #cheers #stayhome #staysafe
Dina, I’ve never heard of Cachaça! Can you compare it to any other alcoholic beverage?
Barb
Hi Barb, how are you? It’s very similar to rum, and both are made from sugarcane-derived products. The difference is in cachaça the alcohol results from the fermentation of fresh sugarcane juice that is then distilled, while rum is usually made from refinery by-products such as molasses. You can find it everywhere. Enjoy!
Thank you, Dina! For some reason, I didn’t get an email notification that your reply was here. I’m glad you messaged me! This sound very good.
I would love that. Too bad I don’t have the cachaca yet… but I will look for it next Time i am out. Meanwhile I will do cosmo . Cheers to you!
Cosmo is good too! Cheers!