When we hear the word caipirinha, or caipirinha, Brazil comes to mind, since it is the most famous drink in this country. We usually prepare it with a mixture of lemons, sugar, ice, and Brazilian cachaça. Cachaça or cachaza, is a sugar cane-based liquor, similar to brandy and rum.
It is a very simple cocktail to make, although many bars and restaurants tend to spoil the original recipe. The most important thing about this drink is the quality of the ingredients.
Caipirinha is a strong cocktail, the proportion of alcohol to be used compared to the rest of the ingredients is high, due to this it is a drink that must be taken slowly to enjoy it. A perfect place and companion for caipirinha is the beach and a good feijoada (typical Brazilian bean-based food). Parties, meetings, soccer matches are a perfect occasion to prepare these delicious drinks.
Something that we must take into account is the cut of the lemons. The perfect way to cut the lemons for this drink is to chop them in half (horizontally) and then remove the pith or part of the middle of white color (it has a bitter taste), and then you can use them like that in half or cut them into quarters.
If you want the caipirinha to be more refreshing, you can add more lemon juice. Ideally, we find balance in the ingredients, so we can enjoy a delicious drink.
Caipirinhas are commonly made using white cachaça, although it can also be made with aged cachaça. The cachaça is aged in barrels and has a more intense flavor. Currently we can get too many variations of the traditional caipirinha. Fruits such as pineapple, passion fruit, strawberry, mango or kiwi can be placed on them.
Ingredients
- 2 lemons cut in half
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 ounces of cachaça or cachaça
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Crushed ice to taste
Preparation
- If you want, you can prepare the caipirinha directly in a glass (medium, not very high) or in a shaker, you must place the lemon pieces with the sugar and use a mortar to gently crush and extract the juice from the lemons.
- Next we add the cachaça and the extra lemon juice, We must mix everything very well. If you do it in a shaker, serve the drink, including the smashed lemons, in a preferably short glass with crushed ice. If you made the cocktail directly in the glass, all you have to do is add the crushed ice and stir gently.
- We serve immediately and garnish the rim of the glass with a thin wheel of lemon.