Caipirinha – The national drink of Brazil

If you go to Brazil it is more than likely that you will try a caipirinha. Lime and sugarcane alcohol cocktail is really refreshing and energizing for those hot nights. I’ll start with a bit of history and end with a recipe.

It is impossible to talk about the history of this drink without talking about hidden. Sugar cane alcohol invented by the Portuguese in the 16th century is like rum

made from sugar cane. The flavor is very different, this is because cachaça is distilled from sugar cane juice while rum is made from a by-product of sugar extraction (molasses).

At first it was a drink for the slaves and the poor, but it soon grew in popularity and became a drink for all Brazilians. Some say that the custom of mixing fruit with the drink was an invention of the Indian slaves, European immigrants did not use many of the fruits that grew in abundance in Brazil. The old spirits probably tasted harsh and off-putting and a bit of fruit and sugar could probably make it a lot better, when citrus came along lime with its sharp flavor would have been a sure hit.

It was only when ice became common in the early 20th century that the real caipirinha was invented. It grew a lot in popularity and is today the national drink. Thought to aid digestion, many people drink it with traditional food such as black bean stew. feijoada as well as with grill.

Here follows a recipe for a classic caipirinha (1 person):

– Cut a soft lime into eight pieces and remove the white stem in the middle and put in a flat-bottomed glass

– Add a large spoonful of sugar and crush it lightly with a crusher

– Fill the glass with crushed ice

– Pour and fill to the brim with white cachaça

– Stir roughly 3 or 4 times and serve with a straw

Note that you are supposed to use a “cheap” white cachaça like 51 or Ypioca and that this drink is traditionally stirred.

Enjoy!