Caipirinha

To accompany my list of cocktails for you to try I want to also introduce you to the cocktail that has gone down an absolute treat in my household this summer. It is not in the list of 30 classic Cocktails because it uses a unique base spirit, and while you can make any number of cocktails with this base spirit the stand out for me is the one that made it famous. The base spirit I speak of is Cachaca, and the cocktail that has brightened many a summer’s evening this year at Maison Bonhomie is the Caipirinha.

Cachaca is the national spirit of Brazil, it is made from fermented sugar cane juice that is then distilled, it is very similar in flavour perhaps to Rhum Agricole, but it is not a Rum as Rum is not made with a fermented base. Cachaca is distilled to a maximum of 75% alcohol, whereas traditional Rums are distilled to 96%, which means that Cachaca still retains some impurities and notably smoky flavours from the sugar cane.

What I love about Cachaca is the smoky flavour, it can make an excellent additional ingredient in many Rum and Tequila cocktails to give a little smoky character to the flavour, it is also a great base spirit for any number of cocktails.

To make a Caipirinha you will need limes, white sugar, and crushed ice.

Firstly you want to cut your limes so they can be muddled with the sugar. To do this cut a ripe lime down the middle and cut each half down the middle again, then slide you knife inside the pithy centre of the lime removing this entirely. Cut your quarters again down the middle so your lime is now in 8 pieces, then cut the pieces in half so you now have 16 equal pieces, place 8 pieces in each glass (I use an Old Fashioned glass with a heavy base). Put three teaspoons of sugar in each glass and gently muddle with a rolling pin handle until the lime pieces are squashed and the juice has infiltrated the sugar. Then fill each glass to the top with crushed ice (I use the rolling pin and a tea towel for crushing the ice, you need a large handful of ice per glass) and pour your Cachaca over the top.

The Caipirinha is served with a stirrer to ensure the sugar completely breaks down and also does not settle on the bottom, you will stir your Caipirinha throughout to ensure the flavours have remained mixed.

Note: I have had zero success making this drink with sugar syrup, if you prefer to not use granulated sugar you are more than welcome to try making a Caipirinha with sugar syrup, but for me the best results have been when using granulated white sugar.

A very easy and inexpensive cocktail to make the Caipirinha is a seriously tasty cocktail, and after you have made them for yourself you will see why it has become a House favourite at our place, and hopefully, it will be just as popular at yours.

Saúde.