Caipirinha: The National Cocktail of Brazil

We have a national bird; the Brazilians have a national cocktail: Caipirinha. Perhaps this explains why they seem to know a lot more about having fun than we do. 

But we can try, right?

In San Francisco, Memorial Day weekend is celebrated with a Latin flare.  For three decades running, the Mission District - the historical and cultural "heart" of San Francisco - hosts one of the largest Latin Carnival festivals in the country over Memorial Day weekend.  Its a weekend of vivid colors, live performance, and non-stop dance.

A distant cousin to Cuba's Mojito, Caipirinha is made from cachaça (pronounced "ca-cha-za"), an alcoholic beverage distilled from fermented sugar cane juice.

Can't find your headdress? No worries, you can still samba in the streets and celebrate life with this easy to make summer cocktail!

Brazilian Caipirinha:

Ingredients:

2 oz Cachaça (try Ypioca Silver Cachaca)
1 quarter fresh lime
1 oz lime juice
1 bar spoon sugar

Directions:

Muddle spoon sugar and lime for 5 seconds. Add Cachaça and 1 oz lime juice. Shake the mixture and strain into a rocks glass over ice.  EASY!

Caipirinha with Basil (Created by Michael Waterhouse of Devin Tavern, NYC and courtesy of Beleza Brazil)

2 oz Beleza Pura Cachaça
1 quarter fresh lime
1 oz lime juice
1 bar spoon sugar
10 basil leaves
1 bar spoon white pepper corns
Garnish: Sprig of Basil

Muddle 1 bar spoon of white pepper corns - add sugar, 1 lime quarter and basil leaves – muddle for 5 seconds. Add Beleza Pura Cachaça and 1 oz lime juice. Shake the mixture and strain into a rocks glass over ice. Garnish with sprig of basil.

Tin Tin!

Posted by:

Chiara Shannon

Head Sommelier

Personal Sommelier Service | Tastings

email: sommelier@klwines.com