Pucker Up and Summon the Spirit of Brazil
Our friends won several bottles of rum and a bottle of cachaça at a local school fundraiser. (This is the second time this year that we've heard of auctioning mixed drinks to raise money for kids -- brilliant idea.) They invited us over to try homemade Caipirinhas, the national drink of Brazil.
Like limey margaritas, the cachaça is more earthy, like tequila, than rum. Tasty and refreshing, as long as you didn't just brush your teeth.
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The Inspiration We tried the Caipirinha cocktail first at The Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego. They listed it on the drink menu, so we were pretty sure they'd make a mean one, and they did. I remember their version had a sugar rim, but I'm not positive. The cachaça has blurred my memory. No cachaça on hand, but want a mixed drink from south of the equator? Try these tequila drinks or these rum drink recipes. |
The Cocktail Recipe
: Caipirinha 2 oz cachaça (like a Brazilian rum, only made from sugar cane, not molasses) 1/2 lime tablespoon of sugar Drop 2 lime quarters and sugar in a tall glass and muddle well, pressing and twisting the muddler to dissolve the sugar and press out as much lime juice as possible. Fill glass with ice. Top with cachaça. Stir. Serve. |
Be smart, safe, and healthy. Drink in moderation. Don't drink and drive. Caipirinha, literally, means "peasant's drink." I believe that means that after drinking the cocktail, you should walk home like a peasant. Have you seen a peasant drive a car like yours? I didn't think so.
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We found that this version was a pretty good balance of limey/sour and sweet. There are recipes out there that call for up to 2 whole limes. We advise you to adjust the amount of lime based on your taste and the the yield of juice. Ever get those limes that are nothing but dry pulp inside? What is that about?
Posted by: Gary Allard | May 28, 2009 at 10:36 AM