FROM SAMANTHA'S BAR

Brazilian Caipirinha

Fresh lime, sugar and cachaça, muddled into Brazil’s sharp, sunny signature drink.

COCKTAIL

1 DRINK

TUMBLER

ABOUT THE DRINK

I learned to make caipirinhas in Brazil, and they have been a favourite ever since. Lime, sugar and cachaça make something sharp, tropical and incredibly refreshing, with that muddled-lime bite that makes the whole drink feel alive.

THE POUR

Ingredients

1½ limes, cut into eighths

25 g caster sugar

50 ml cachaça

Ice, plenty

Lime slice, to garnish

Method

1.

Place the cut limes into a cocktail shaker and add the caster sugar.

2.

Using a muddler, crush the limes thoroughly until all the juice has been released and the sugar has dissolved into the lime juice.

3.

Fill the shaker completely with ice, and pour over the cachaça.

4.

Seal the shaker, and shake continuously until the shaker is extremely cold to the touch.

5.

Remove the lid and pour everything into a glass, ice, lime pieces and all. Garnish with a slice of lime and drink immediately.

SAMANTHA'S NOTES

Muddle, don’t mash

Use cachaça if possible

Press the lime firmly enough to release the juice and oils, but do not pulverise it. Over-muddling can make the drink bitter.

Cachaça gives a caipirinha its signature Brazilian flavour. Vodka can work in a pinch, but then you are really making a caipiroska.

Taste the lime

Limes vary in sharpness, so adjust the sugar slightly if needed. The drink should be bright and punchy, not painfully sour.

KEEP POURING

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