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Caipirinha

Caipirinha Cocktail Recipe

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Caipirinha Cocktail Recipe
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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 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.

Method
Base Spirit
Difficulty Intermediate
Time
Prep Time: 3 mins Assembly Time: 2 mins Total Time: 5 mins
Servings 1
Calories 205
Best Season Summer
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
  • 2 fl oz Cachaça
  • 0.5 fl oz Simple Syrup (Click for Recipe)
  • 1 Lime
  • 1 Lime Wheel
Method
  1. Cut lime into four slices.

  2. Add lime slices pulp side up to a lowball glass.

  3. Drizzle simple syrup over limes.

  4. Muddle gently for 5-7 seconds.

  5. Add cachaça and cracked ice to glass.

  6. Stir for 5-10 seconds.

  7. Garnish with lime wheel.