Caipirinha
Brazil
Cachaça is a rum-like distilled alcoholic drink made from fresh sugarcane juice. It has been produced in Brazil since the 1880s. It can be enjoyed neat, but is most commonly used as the base for Caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink. The origins of this cocktail are often debated: Some locals believe that Caipirinha, which means “little peasant girl” in Portuguese, was created as a remedy for cholera in the mid-1800s. Others argue that it comes from the coastal region of Santos, where the first cachaça distilleries sprouted. The cocktail’s exact history is a mystery, but there’s no arguing that the mix is delightful.
Recipe from Pitú for 1 cocktail:
Ingredients:
2 ounces cachaça
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 lime
How to make it:
Cut lime into small pieces and place in old-fashioned cocktail glass. Add sugar. Muddle lime and sugar with pestle. Fill glass with ice and add cachaça. Pour contents into a shaker, shake well, and return contents to glass.
Sven Franssen