The Caipirinha – Brazil’s Signature Cocktail

When the menu has something spicy, try The Caipirinha – Brazil’s Signature Cocktail; it’s sweet with lots of citrus and is the perfect match!

Caipirinha

The last two decades have ushered in a kind of food and beverage renaissance, as Americans have traded in outdated recipe cards and post-war approaches to mealtime for farm-to-fork dining and international flavors. The proliferation of innovative food blogs and the ease of ordering previously hard-to-find ingredients online have allowed gourmands and home chefs alike to branch out from their comfort zones and whip up new recipes for their families and friends.

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Celebrity chefs, Internet personalities and cookbook authors have contributed to the ease of entertaining with recipes for approachable yet elegant hors d’oeuvres and craft cocktails. Whether you aim to revive a homegrown jazz age standard or serve up a libation with an exotic twist, the ingredients and recipes for crowd pleasing potables are now a mere click away.

I hope the monthly adventure that my friends and I put together for you with Progressive Eats is inspiring many to try something new. And not just new, but food and cocktails that are approachable as well. Making a fancy dish that is too difficult for a cook at home to accomplish is not our goal; creating menu ideas for those wanting to have fun is.

Our theme this month chosen by Karen from the blog Karen’s Kitchen Stories is all Latin America inspired menu items from cocktails to desserts and even includes a couple that use the infamous Instant Pot; it doesn’t get much easier than that.

Caipirinha

I decided to add a cocktail to the mix. The Caipirinha Cocktail hails from Brazil and is to that country what Margaritas are to the US and the Paloma is to Mexico…the most popular drink of all. I became familiar with this cocktail when the Olympics were held in Brazil; of course we had one in hand while watching the games!

While some might assure you that a Caipirinha is fine with rum, true stalwarts will fight that notion with veracity and insist you use Cachaça. Both rum and Cachaça start with sugar cane but there the similarities end. The key difference between the two spirits lies in the way the base ingredient is handled. Rum is traditionally made from processed cane (molasses) while Cachaça is made from fresh-pressed, unprocessed cane juice which lends it a distinctive clean, grassy flavor and a subtle but evident herbaceous nose.

Probably the best known Cachaça is Pitu but just as I would recommend you move beyond gold tequila to a reposado, steer clear of the cheapest and find something more mid range. Leblon was perfect for trying this new cocktail; it carries a mid level price point with a good flavor profile. Check out this video for how to make the Caipirinha Recipe – so easy to make and I think the perfect refreshing cocktail to enjoy with spicy Latin American food!

While it’s always a great idea to have familiar mixed drinks on hand, diversifying your guests’ options with the unexpected will make the party extra special. My own foray into the world of cocktails has meant that every occasion requires a specialty drink and with some practice it’s become an easy and fun alternative to meeting friends at a local watering hole; I AM the watering hole!

Casamigos Margarita

If you’re interested in additional beverages that are great with Latin American food; you also can’t go wrong with a great Margarita (that’s my new favorite above from my bestie George Clooney). To make cocktails easy to serve to a crowd, simply combine all the non-carbonated ingredients of your favorite cocktail ahead of time, and shake and pour over ice when guests arrive. Add the appropriate garnish and splash of soda when it’s time to serve, and delight the crowd with something exciting.

Our senses of smell and taste are linked most strongly with memory, and distributing a round of Cachaça, Tequila or Mezcal-based cocktails for a Latin American themed soiree can be fun and adventurous.

Paloma Cocktail - Tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and agave necta

While alcohol is a well known icebreaker, when the drink itself tells a story, you can count on an even more enjoyable gathering. With niche cookbooks and cocktail recipes becoming more and more fashionable, the stigma that swanky beverages are complicated and unapproachable at home is quickly fading. The Paloma shown above is a great example; it’s a combination of simple ingredients that can sweep you away to another land; it’s the perfect accompaniment to spicy Mexican food.

The home entertainer can keep pace with the best of them, and offer impressive seasonal drinks throughout the year. It’s one reason I love offering cocktails to my readers every week; to show just how easy it is to make a great cocktail at home with just a couple of ingredients.

Caipirinha

The relatively recent push for people to know where their food comes from has expanded into the cocktail world as well, creating delicious and fun alternatives to old stand-bys, and opening the door for modern experimentation. It’s a great time to mix up the old routine and pour your energy into discovering new drinks. The Caipirinha is one I heartily recommend and would be a fantastic cocktail with any of these dishes!

Progressive Eats

Flavors of Latin America!

Cocktails

  • The Caipirinha – Brazil’s Signature Cocktail – Everydayum.com (You’re Here!)

Appetizers

Breads

Main Course

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Desserts

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The Caipirinha - Brazil's Most Famous Drink

The Caipirinha and the Rise of Craft Cocktails

Everydayum.com
5 from 50 or more votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 0 Two cocktails
Calories

Ingredients
  

  • 2 oz simple syrup
  • 1 lime cut into 8 pieces
  • 5 oz Cachaca

Instructions
 

  • Muddle the simple syrup with the limes in chilled cocktail glasses
  • Fill the glass with ice and then top off with the Cuchaca.
  • Gently stir and serve.
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Some Oldies but Goodies!

17 Comments

  1. Barb, I always enjoy your cocktail recipe posts. Even if I don’t plan on making the recipe, I always wish I could – and I learn so much. I have had a caipirinha, courtesy of a Brazilian neighbor and it was amazing. I’d love to sip one of these with you on your patio:)

    1. Well of course you can! You know I don’t make anything too complicated; I want you and other readers to actually enjoy the recipes. I get besieged with people wanting me to share their latest mixologist recipe which way too often includes homemade bitters and homemade this and homemade that. No…I want people to know that with a liquor base, some citrus, some sugar water and some fruit that a great cocktail can be had without spending a ton of money or time, our greatest resource. Come on over; I’ll make one for you! 🙂

  2. My husband will be so excited to see this recipe! This was one of his favorite cocktails when he traveled to Brazil a number of years ago on business. Now I get to try it too! Beautiful photos!

    1. How fun! I had never heard of it until the Olympics and now I love them. I love lime SO much and this is the perfect combination when it’s definitely the star!

    1. I will gladly take on that moniker; I love making them and I really love shooting them; not something a lot of my friends will say! This is a good one…do give it a shot!

  3. I can’t believe that I’ve never had a Caipirinha – and now with your recipe, I have no more excuses, LOL. What a fun way to kick off our Progressive Eats feast!!

    1. I do love discovering something new and this one was more well known than most; Brazil’s Olympics was great marketing for the Caipirinha!

    1. You have so many I’m supposed to make for ‘next time.’ Narrow it down to THE ONE and we will have to get together to both celebrate your new freedom and give you a shoulder to cry on. 🙂

5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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