This is a classic that’s often overlooked because its base liquor doesn’t show up in too many home bars (it’s even missing in a lot of actual bars!). I like it better than the Mojito, because of the muddled fruit and the darker sugar, and because the cachaça does bring its own unique flavor to the drink.
Cachaça is basically Brazilian rum. It’s made from fresh sugarcane juice, whereas most rum is made from molasses, but the two processes yield a very similar flavor profile in the final liquor. Typically you find it in the unaged, “white” variation, but barrel-aged versions do exist, and take on similar taste and scent notes to aged rums – lots of caramel, dried fruit, and spice. The Caipirinha is the best-known Cachaça drink, but you can use it as a substitute in most rum cocktails and get something delicious.
The recipe below is the International Bartenders’ Association standard, but I find it a little too sour for its own good. I actually recommend a full three teaspoons (one tablespoon, or half an ounce) of brown sugar for this one.
This article is a modified and enhanced version of a post that ran on my nightly cocktail blog, DrinkShouts. Liquors in parentheses are what I used when I made this recipe, and are included as suggestions.
The Caipirinha Cocktail Recipe
Equipment
- Muddler
- Cocktail shaker
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Cachaca Soul
- 2 tsp. Brown sugar
- 1/2 Lime quartered
Instructions
- Muddle lime and brown sugar in a cocktail shaker until well-combined. Add cachaça and ice, and shake thoroughly.
- Pour unstrained into a chilled rocks glass.
