Caipirinha Recipe
A Brazilian tradition, made with fresh limes and Cachaça.
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Ingredients
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Caipirinha
Method
Caipirinha
- 1
Prepare the limes
Wash the limes. Cut one lime into 8 wedges. Cut the second lime in half and reserve one half to slice a thin wheel for garnish; cut the other half into 4 wedges. You should have about 12 wedges total (adjust proportionally if scaling).
- 2
Muddle
Place 8–10 lime wedges into a sturdy old-fashioned glass or small cocktail shaker. Add the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar on top of the limes. Using a cocktail muddler (or the back of a wooden spoon), press and twist firmly to crush the limes and extract the oils from the peel and juice. Continue muddling until the sugar has dissolved into a syrupy liquid and the lime pieces are well broken down (about 20–30 seconds). Do not pulverize the peel into tiny bits — the goal is to release juice and oils, not shred the pith.
- 3
- 4
Add ice and finish
Fill the glass to the top with crushed ice (about 1 cup). Using a bar spoon or short stirring spoon, stir vigorously for 10–15 seconds to chill and slightly dilute the drink, integrating the ice with the lime-cachaça mixture. Top off with a little more crushed ice if desired.
- 5
Garnish and serve
Place the reserved thin lime wheel on the rim or float on top as garnish. Serve immediately with a short straw or stirring spoon so the drink can be re-stirred between sips.