How to Make a Caipirinha

The caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil. If you visit here, you must try one.

But a word of caution: Drink slowly! Caipirinhas are tasty but deceptively strong.

Whether in Rio in the Southeast or Natal in the Northeast, a caipirinha will be made in essentially the same way:
1) In a sturdy glass, toss several wedges of freshly sliced lime.
2) Add a generous measure of cane sugar.
3) With a mortar, mash the lime and sugar into a pulp.
4) Pour in a serious dose of cachaça, which is a strong liquor distilled from sugar cane, similar to a strong white rum.
5) Add ice and shake rigorously.
6) Pour into a cup and…
7) …Enjoy!

As mentioned, drink slowly. Cachaça is strong, and the lime and sugar mask just how strong. One caipirinha is enough to get many people seriously buzzed.

There are many variations on the traditional caipirinha. Brazilians often seem to have a fascination with anything imported, and so many prefer the “caipiroshka”, made with vodka rather than cachaça. You can also try your caipirinha or caipiroshka with a fruit other than limes. Strawberries are a popular alternative – ask for “morangos”.

To watch a traditional caipirinha made on the beach at Ipanema, click here. Your bartender is Lobão (Big Wolf) and the boy is Luis Miguel, the son of a friend. My buddy Greg filmed this piece. I’m the guy narrating. Wow, I really need to work on that gut. No more caipirinhas for awhile…

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