Transport yourself to the sunny shores of Brazil with a Caipirinha cocktail. The Caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil, and it’s become really popular in the UK in recent years, too. A zesty summercocktail recipe (opens in new tab), the Caipirinha is made with cachaça, sugar and lime. If you like mojitos, you’ll love the Caipirinha.
No-one knows when the Caipirinha was first made, but it became popular in Brazil in the early 20th Century, when Brazilians drank it to ward off the flu. Many Brazilians still drink a Caipirinha when they’re feeling under the weather. We certainly can’t vouch for its medicinal properties, but the Caipirinha is certainly one strong cocktail. It’s made with a Brazilian spirit called cachaça, which is distilled from sugarcane. Cachaça is widely available in UK supermarkets these days, but if you don’t have any you can try making this drink with vodka instead. Just bear in mind that if you use vodka, it’s no longer a Caipirinha, but a Caiprioska.
Our Caipirinha cocktail recipe uses one bottle of cachaça and serves 12 people so it’s ideal for a family barbecue or summer drinks in the garden with friends. Try making someBrazilian recipesto go with it, like coconut prawns or Salpicão, a delicious chopped salad made with chicken, sweetcorn, carrots and apple.
A good Caipirinha should be served cold, so make life easy for yourself by buying a big bag of party ice, and plenty of fresh limes for that hallmark citrusy taste.
How to Make a Caipirinha Cocktail
1. Halve the limes and squeeze the juice into a large jug. Throw in the limes, then muddle (you could use a rolling pin if you don't have a muddler) the limes and sugar together well (until mushy).
2. Add a third of the ice and crush it into the mixture. Stir it well then add the Cachaça.
3. Stir and taste - you may want more sugar and lime but it should have quite a kick. Add the rest of the ice and serve.
Ingredients
- One 75cl bottle cachaça
- 8 limes
- 16tbsp unrefined caster sugar
- a big bag of ice
Top Tip for making Caipirinha Cocktail
You can use vodka instead but then it's a Caipiroska
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