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Cocktail History
The Caipirinha (pronounced kai-pe-REEN-ya) is a classic cocktail that was created by farmers in the 1800s in São Paolo, Brazil. It’s traditionally made by muddling lime wedges with simple syrup and mixing both with cachaça, a type of Brazilian rum made from sugarcane. Although most popular in South America, the recipe made its way to the United States during the rubber boom in the early 1900s when Americans often traveled to Brazil to tap rubber trees for the latex sap used in tire-making.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Cachaça: This is a type of rum made in Brazil from sugarcane juice, yeast, and water. I used Leblon Cachaça.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I used this stovetop recipe.
Lime: This is a round, green, and sour citrus fruit.
Lime Wheel: This is a lime slice that has been cut into a circular shape.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Muddler: This is used to muddle ingredients. I used the HQY Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Pale green color
• Aroma: Sour citrus
• Taste: Candy sweet rum-style flavor with a sharp lime tartness
• Finish: Noticeable sugarcane aftertaste
Kendall’s Take: “I had never tried cachaça before coming across this recipe and liked it quite a bit. I hope to find other uses for this unique spirit aside from the Caipirinha though because, even though it is tasty, I don’t care for chunks of anything to be floating in my drinks as is the case with the lime. Flavor-wise, this is a very good and very simple drink that’s worth the praise it gets.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
Caipirinha
Description
The Caipirinha (pronounced kai-pe-REEN-ya) is a classic cocktail that was created by farmers in the 1800s in São Paolo, Brazil. It’s traditionally made by muddling lime wedges with simple syrup and mixing both with cachaça, a type of Brazilian rum made from sugarcane. Although most popular in South America, the recipe made its way to the United States during the rubber boom in the early 1900s when Americans often traveled to Brazil to tap rubber trees for the latex sap used in tire-making.
Ingredients
Method
Cut lime into four wedges.
Add lime wedges pulp side up and simple syrup to a lowball glass.
Using a muddler, gently muddle lime wedges in simple syrup for 5-7 seconds.
Add cachaça to lowball glass.
Fill lowball glass with cracked ice.
Using a bar spoon, gently stir for 5-7 seconds.
Garnish with lime wheel.
