Caipirinha and Caipiroska

The kids and I are back from Brazil. The trip back home was exhausting but the kids were as good as they could be considering the circumstances! Now we are trying to adjust to the time change (Brazil is two hours ahead). The kids have been waking up super early and feeling tired during the day. But hopefully they will get over that soon! 

I was thinking about our trip and about what I was able to blog about while in Brazil, when I realized that I had not posted a recipe for the most loved Brazilian drink - Caipirinha.  What was I thinking?? Well, I guess it is never too late for a great cocktail, so let's talk about it now!

Brazil's national drink is made of a simple mix of fresh lime, sugar, ice, and cachaça. 

The bottles above are filled with cachaça - a Brazilian liquor made out of fermented and distilled sugar cane juice that is the main ingredient of our national cocktail, the Caipirinha. 

I do not have the statistics, but it is very obvious that Caipirinha and beer are the most consumed  alcoholic beverages in Brazil. 

If you can find cachaça at your local liquor store, there is no reason why you cannot make your own Caiprinha! With only a few key ingredients you can make this refreshing cocktail at home!


Now if you cannot find cachaça, or if you do not like the taste of that liquor, you can still have a similar experience by substituting the cachaça for vodka to create what we call a Caipiroska or Caipivodka. 

Having Caipiroska and eating seafood by the beach, Brazil 2012.

Although this recipe calls for a few simple ingredients, it is very important to follow the traditional method of preparation:


1- Caipirinha is usually prepared individually in the same glass you will serve it.
2- Always use fresh lime (skin and all).
3- Muddle the fruit and sugar together before adding the rest of the ingredients. 
4- Do not use crushed ice or you will end up with a watery cocktail.
5- A cocktail shaker is not traditionally used, but feel free to use one if you wish.


This tangy and refreshing drink is my summer favorite!


Caipirinha or Caipiroska

Ingredients


1/2 lime (Tahiti lime, if possible)

2 teaspoons superfine sugar

2 ounces cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane liquor) for Caipirinha, OR 2 ounces vodka for Caipiroska

Ice (1/2 cup to 1 cup), large rocks

Lime slices for garnish

Directions


Cut half of a lime (skin and all) into wedges and then cut each wedge in half. Place the lime in a lowball glass. Add superfine sugar. Muddle the lime and sugar for a few minutes until all lime juice has been released from the fruit. Add the cachaça and stir to combine. Fill the glass with ice and stir one more time (or use a cocktail shaker). Garnish with a slice of fresh lime and serve immediately.


Visualize


Cut the lime:

Place it in a lowball glass:

Add sugar:

Muddle until all the juice is released from the lime: 

Add liquor of choice:

Stir:

Fill glass with ice:

Stir or use a cocktail shaker to mix it all together. Serve immediately.