Caipirinha - The National Cocktail of Brazil

If you want a break from mojito, say hello to the caipirinha cocktail, the national cocktail of Brazil. As refreshing as the mojito, caipirinha is a very simple cocktail made with cachaça, lime and sugar.

I know what you folks are thinking, how do we order something that looks pretty hard to pronounce...well lets tackle that quickly below.

caipirinha is pronounced as Kai-Pee-Reen-Ya
cachaça is pronounced as Ka-Shah-Suh

Now that we know how to pronouce caipirinha and cachaça lets deep dive.

Cachaça is a clear spirit derived from sugarcane and is similar to rum, only a bit smokier as it is made from raw sugarcane unlike rum which is made from molasses. The production of cachaça can be traced back to the 1500s when the Portuguese arrived in Brazil and precedes the production of rum.

Here is the recipe for the classic caipirinha.

Ingredients:

• 60 ml cachaça (You can substitute it with Rum)
• 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar

Method:

1. Quarter the lime and muddle the lime and sugar in a cocktail shaker till the juice is extracted and mixed well with the sugar.
2. Add the cachaça and some ice and shake well.
3. Pour the liquid into a ice filled glass.
4. If this looks potent you can top up the glass with some sparkling water or soda to tone it down and give it a bit of fizz.

Now, have we tempted you to travel to Rio to taste that perfect Caipirinha while lounging on a beach? Or do the next best thing and make this delicious cocktail and transport yourself for some surf and sun! Or like in our case, order it from a beach side bar at Hikkaduwa beach in Sri Lanka :D


Disclaimer: This post caters to audience above 25 years of age. Alcohol consumption is injurious to health, drink responsibly, don't drink and drive.