Looking to shake things up tonight? Then party it up Brazil-style with the classic caipirinha cocktail.
The name “caipirinha” (kai-pur-reen-yah) is a Brazilian term that roughly translates to “little peasant girl.” A simple name for a simple drink, the caipirinha cocktail recipe has only 3 ingredients: green lemons (or limes), sugar, and cachaça (ka-SHAH-suh) liquor.
That said, it still packs such a wallop of tropical pizzazz, it makes your backyard barbeque feel like a weekend on the exotic beaches of Brazil. It’s no wonder it’s one of Brazil’s most popular drinks and Brazil’s national cocktail.
To find out more about the caipirinha and how to make to make the national drink of Brazil, keep reading.
The History of the Caipirinha Cocktail
The history of the caipirinha cocktail is legend. That is to say, no one knows for sure exactly when and how caipirinha first became a cocktail.
Or how it became brazil’s national drink.
Some say the drink was used as a cold and flu medicine during World War I.
These reports claim that the lemon juice was used for its high concentration of vitamin C and that the alcohol was to help the Vitamin absorb into the body better.
It’s also reported that the original recipe included garlic and honey, also for medicinal reasons.
Whether these accounts are true or not has not been confirmed. But one thing’s clear.
At some point, someone decided the drink would taste a lot better if you take out the garlic and replace the honey with sugar. And they were right.
A Note About the Caipirinha Ingredients
As mentioned earlier, there aren’t many ingredients needed to make the traditional caipirinha recipe.
However, you are going to need cachaça.
Cachaca is most definitely the liquor of choice.
What is cachaca? Well, cachaça is a Brazilian liquor distilled from fermented sugar cane juice, similar to white rum.
However, rum usually uses molasses while cachaça does not.
You should be able to find cachaca at any of your local liquor stores. Not too long ago it would be a hard find.
But with the growing popularity of the Brazilian cocktail, first-rate brands of cachaca are more easily found outside of Brazil.
If you absolutely can’t find cachaca substitute with Brazilian rum.
In Brazil, the caipirinha traditional recipe calls for indigenous Brazilian green lemons.
Since these aren’t widely available outside Brazil, most other countries simply use limes.
For the right texture, use simple syrup instead of crunchy, granulated white sugar.
The syrup is also better because it dissolves instantly into the Brazilian drink.
How to Make Caipirinha
Note: Brazilians typically make caipirinhas one or sometimes even two at a time.
But if you are entertaining, we get it if you need to batch process in order to avoid muddling all night long.
Now, let’s make some caipirinhas!
To start with you’ll probably have to go shopping for some cachaça.
And since green lemons are native to Brazil, but rare elsewhere, pick up some fresh lime while you’re at it.
Caipirinha Recipe
- 3/4 of freshly cut lime slices
- Cachaça
- Simple syrup at a 1:2 ratio to the liquor
- Ice
First, cut the lime wedges into quarters.
Muddle three of the quarters against the side of an old-fashioned glass.
Be slow and thorough with your muddling to make sure you squeeze out as much fresh lime juice as you can.
You’re fine to crush the peel along with the flesh to release its delicious oils.
Now, don’t throw out the spent lime pieces! You’re going to keep these floating around in the drink.
But before adding the rest of the ingredients, be sure you position the wedges peel-side-down in the glass.
Next, add the simple syrup and stir/muddle some more.
Add the ice (traditionally cubed, not crushed ice), pour on the liquor, and stir. Then, enjoy!
If you want to get a little adventurous with caipirinha variations, how about a passion fruit caipirinha or strawberry caipirinha instead.
Caipirinha Measurements
The perfect measurement of ingredients is hard to say.
It depends on how much liquor you add; you want half as much syrup as liquor.
But the liquor goes unmeasured in Brazil as they don’t use a measure.
Ultimately, you’ll have to experiment to find your desired ratio. But we’re pretty sure you won’t have a problem with that.
Caipirinha vs Mojito
Some like to compare the the Brazilian Caipirinha and the Cuban Mojito.
But other than there similar appearance and both being tasty drinks there really is no comparison.
Not only is there main ingredient different, they taste nothing alike.
The caipirinha is made with cachaca, limes and sugar.
And the mojito recipe uses rum, mint, and sugar.
Enjoy Your Caipirinha Cocktail
The caipirinha is widely regarded as the favorite cocktail of the Brazilian culture.
Its the perfect way to cool off on those hot summer nights and to pair with your favorite Brazilian dishes with its tantalizing taste of the tropics!
If you’d like to bring home a taste of Brazil, shop Amazon for Brazilian foods and drinks.
¿Uno más? Now that you are familiar with Brazil’s national cocktail, click here to learn all about Peru’s national drink, the delicious pisco sour cocktail.
Caipirinha Recipe
Party it up Brazil-style with the caipirinha (kai-pur-reen-yah) cocktail. A simple name for a simple drink, caipirinha has only 3 ingredients: limes, simple syrup and cachaça (ka-SHAH-suh) liquor.
Ingredients
- 3/4 of a freshly cut lime
- 2 oz cachaça
- 1 oz simple syrup
- Ice
Instructions
- Cut the lime into quarters. Muddle three of the quarters against the side of an old-fashioned glass. Before adding the rest of the ingredients, be sure you position the wedges peel-side-down in the glass.
- Add the simple syrup and stir/muddle some more.
- Add the ice (traditionally cubed, not crushed), pour on the liquor, and stir.
- Enjoy!
Notes
The perfect measurement of ingredients is hard to say. It depends on how much liquor you add; you want half as much syrup as liquor.
But the liquor goes unmeasured in Brazil as they don’t use a measure.
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Jorge Garcia is the founder of AmigoFoods, where he has spent over 20 years helping readers discover authentic Latin American and Spanish cuisine. Raised in a Cuban-American household, Jorge learned to cook at the hands of his mother and grandmother, carrying forward generations of family recipes. That heritage, backed by his family’s four-generation history in the Latin food industry, inspired him to launch AmigoFoods in 2003. With more than 1,000 published articles on recipes, ingredients, and food culture, Jorge’s mission is simple: make authentic Latin cooking approachable for home cooks everywhere while honoring the traditions behind every dish.