Drink of the Week - The Caipirinha, the national drink of Brazil

[BBQ Engineer]

Have you ever been to a Brazilian steak house or churascaria? One of those places where they have gauchos bring skewers of meat to your table and carve it off right on your plate? The parade of meat doesnt stop until you give up...well they are pretty awesome.

The drink they specialize at these places is a Caipirinha. THEY ARE AWESOME. It can be compared to a Brazillian Margarita, and is the national distilled alcoholic drink of Brazil.

It is made with a liquor called Cachaca which is a rum made from fermented Sugar Cane and then distilled.

Here are the players.





2 fl. oz. Cachaça
1 lime, quartered
2 Tbsp. Sugar (preferably a "raw" or turbinado sugar) or 1.5 fl. oz. simple syrup

Place lime wedges and sugar in a rocks glass. With a muddler press down and twist the limes to release the juice (and the oils in the peel). Add crushed ice, then cachaça and stir the drink. Fill up with ice.



Enjoy!

[MrsB]

Can I just come hang out at your house on Friday nights?? All these drinks you have made recently look/sound delicious!!!

[ALX]

Awesome.....I am keeping up.......only 500 plus countries to go......

[scotth]

Nice! for the drink, and for using fresh citrus in your cocktails.

I too bought a bottle of Cachaça for Caipirinhas. I bought the brand "51", to put it nicely, it's an acquired taste I have yet to acquire. If you substitute white rum for the Cachaça, you get a Caipirissima, which I prefer. Do you think it might be the rock-gut cachaça I bought? If you want to try something similar to the drink without committing to a whole bottle of booze you might not have another use for, try a Caipirissima.

[BBQ Engineer]

Nice! I too bought a bottle of Cachaça for Caipirinhas. I bought the brand "51", to put it nicely, it's an acquired taste I have yet to acquire. If you substitute white rum for the Cachaça, you get a Caipirissima, which I prefer. Do you think it might be the rock-gut cachaça I bought? If you want to try something similar to the drink without committing to a whole bottle of booze you might not have another use for, try a Caipirissima.

Scott,

I really like the taste of the stuff I have. I am not a connisuer of Chachaca, I just bought what I could find...however in doing some research, I did read this little nugget which may explain your dilema...

Most cachaça made in Brazil is industrial in nature and flavor. It's a rough spirit so the bits of lime pulp, oils from the peel, and a more robustly flavored brown sugar soften it. When using a more refined cachaça you may even want to use simple syrup.

[HawgHeaven]

Dana, got any rooms for rent?

Awesome me brutha...

[Fired Up]

I happen to be a bit of a Caipirinha snob. Other than that, they will rock your world if you are not careful.
After the first one, they go down like lemonade.

[BBQ Engineer]

Man I forget how much I thoroughly enjoy these...Getting started early today...had to go get more limes.

They are frigggin' awesome. Get after it Smoked-Meat and enjoy a Caipirinha!

[scotth]

My recipie comes from Dale Degroff. He calls for 1/2 a lime and brown sugar syrup or 1 teaspoon brown sugar. So I kind of halfed the difference, I used 1/2 a lime and 1 tablespoon of Turbinado sugar. That made all the difference in the world. I love brown sugar, but the Turbinado does a much better job rounding down the hard edges of the Cachaça. The first one went down like lemonade. I made a second with rum, and preferred the first made with the Cachaça, the additional sweetness of the Turbinado really offsets the bitter harshness of the Cachaça.



Cheers to Dana and everyone at S-M.


Ok. I bought a big bottle of white rum (I was out) and am planning on my next DotW, either a St. Germain Pineapple daiquiri, or a Papa Double or Hemingway daiquiri. Eventually, you'll see them both, but which one first?

[BBQ Engineer]

Ok. I bought a big bottle of white rum (I was out) and am planning on my next DotW, either a St. Germain Pineapple daiquiri, or a Papa Double or Hemingway daiquiri. Eventually, you'll see them both, but which one first?

Cheers Scott! Bring on that Papa Double daiquiri...I'm intrigued and have never had one (that I know of)! That is what I wanted to get out of a thread like that...if nothing else, introduce me to drinks I have never had. Got some Orageat syrup on the way...gonna have that Mai Tai!

[IrishChef]

I had a bottle of Cachaça I got from a friend who did some business down in Sao Paulo. Swear the shit would be better purposed for refinishing furniture.....

[BBQ Engineer]

I had a bottle of Cachaça I got from a friend who did some business down in Sao Paulo. Swear the shit would be better purposed for refinishing furniture.....

Hey Irish,

Pretty sure that could be said about any single ingredient...I can't stand the taste of Tequilla...but when complimented with other ingredients, I love the taste of it (Oh yeah, Margaritas!). Same for Paprika...by itself I hate it...put it with other spices and I can come up with a rub that I have to occasionally go to the spice cabinet for a hit of it. Haven't taken shots of Chachaca (my shot days are long gone)...but paired with a couple of other simple ingredients in a Caipirinha it is awesome.

My guess is you need to go get a lime and some turbinado sugar.

[protege2k]

I happen to be a bit of a Caipirinha snob. Other than that, they will rock your world if you are not careful.
After the first one, they go down like lemonade.

Dead on, the first is the trickster - be careful standing up after 3!

Great add, I make sure to bruise the lime rind - balances everything out. Also, easing the sugar to just enough helps those who get stomach issues from sugar drinks.