The Best Caipirinha

When I first arrived in Brazil, apart from the usual questions – where are you from, why are you here, yarda yarda yarda – one of the first questions people asked me was ‘Have you tried a Caipirinha yet?’

On my first night of sampling this traditional Brazilian drink, my friends that night took great delight in ordering me one…and many more afterwards when I had succumbed to the delights of this sweet yet powerful drink. Needless to say, I remember little of this particular bar and the next day was most certainly a bed day but even now, I rarely fail to resist this gorgeous, citrus drink.

Traditionally made from Cachaça, a popular Brazilian liquor made from sugarcane and also known as Pinga or Brazilian rum, this drink, in my opinion, is perfect for the countless hot summer days in Brazil, especially if you’re sat right next to the beach in good company. Wherever I am in the World, this drink will always take me straight back to lazy days in Brazil.

Ingredients:
(makes 2 Caipirinhas)
4 Limes
Cachaça – to taste
Sugar – to taste
Ice cubes

How to make:
(It’s so easy that you’ll be making them by the bucket)

Step one:
Cut up a few limes into cubes. Make sure they are really ripe as you can really get the juice and the flavor out.

Step two:
Add into a glass (just your average size glass) and add sugar to taste. Mash the sugar and limes together in the glass to make a sweet, citrus juice.

Step three:
Add ice to the top of the glass (ice cubes is fine)

Step four:
Pour over cachaça depending how strong you want this drink.

Step five:
Mix well, serve with a lime wedge if you’re feeling fancy and drink.

And that’s it! Taste at the end and if it’s too strong, just add more sugar until the taste is how you like. I haven’t included quantities as this drink is very much created for personal taste – just keep trying as you go along!

Variations:
The above recipe is the true Caipirinha, however there are variations that can be made which taste delicious. You can substitute the Cachaça for vodka or sake and the lime for any other fruits that you fancy – passion fruit or strawberry is a personal favourite of mine but try whatever you want. Any ideas for different variations then I would love to hear from you.