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Classic caipirinha – easy recipe

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Classic caipirinha – easy recipe

by | Tuesday, August 16th, 2016 | Food

Very easy to make and really refreshing, we went on a small crusade to find the best recipe for you to create the classic caipirinha. It only takes a few minutes and you are ready to sip it watching the Rio games. Just the thing!

You will need :

  • 5 cl  of Cachaça
  • ½ lime or a whole lime depending how zingy you like it
  • 2 to 4 teaspoonful of brown sugar
  • a glass full of crushed ice

Cachaça, also called Pinga or Caninha, is Brazil’s national drink, embodying all the spirit, excitement and flare of the party nation!

In the UK, you can find it in most supermarkets. It is quite similar to rum being also made from sugarcane but a little different. Cachaça is made from the fresh product of teh sugarcane than rum is made with molasses or other derived sugarcane products.

The glass traditionally used to serve this delicious cocktail is an ‘old Fashioned glass’ also known as ‘lowball glass’ or ‘rocks glass’. This is a short tumbler used for serving drinks like whisky on the ‘rocks’ (with ice cubes) as well as some cocktails such as the ‘Old Fashioned’, from which its name comes from.

Muddle 2 teaspoonful of brown sugar with half of a lime thinly sliced (many recipes recommend to use ‘wedges’ but by actually slicing your lime you’ll get more juice out of it). Once the sugar is dissolved, just add the crushed ice and top it with the Cachaça. Serve immediately with a wedge of lime and a small umbrella. You are ready to sip a little bit of the Brazilian spirit!

The origin of the caipirinha (pronunced ‘kai pee ree nia’) dates from about 1918 and is believed to have started in Sao Paulo where it used to have garlic and honey and being recommended as a remedy for patients with Spanish flu. The garlic and honey were then removed and a few teaspoonful of sugar added to balance the acidity of the lime. Ice was probably added at some point to cool down in this hot country and the drink is now the strongest Brazilian cocktail enjoyed all over the world.

Depending on how sweet you like your caipirinha, you can add sugar (up to 4 teaspoonful) and up to a whole lime if you like it extra zingy!

Not classic and want a twist?

Have you just drunk enough of the classic caipirinha? Then just add fresh mint for this little bit of freshness for a cocktail very close to a mojito.

Wanting a little bit of ‘va va voom’? Add some crushed ginger when you are muddling the lime and sugar. Watch, take off the bits of ginger by sieving the juice before adding the ice and alcohol except if you like it very hot!