So on my recent trip to Belo Horizonte, Brazil, I was introduced to my new favourite tipple: Caipirinha. Pronounced Kai-pee-reen-ya, this cocktail is based on Brazil’s signature liquor: cachaça. As with tequila, it comes in yellow and clear varieties. I am reliably informed that the better brands are Seleta (43%), Salines and Vale Verde.
You start with a whole lime, quartered in a stout glass. Add two teaspoons of sugar. Then you mash the pulp into the sugar with a wooden pestal. Now the good part – you add a 5cl of cachaça. Using my jigger, this is a full two and a half measures… most satisfying. Finally, you put as much crushed ice into the glass as it will hold.
If you’ve made it right, it is a light, tasty, refreshing summer drink. After four, you don’t really care any more…
Cheers!
Caipirinha – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Not only you didn’t bring me a bottle of cachaça, you’re writing a blog as how wonderful it is!!! Thank-you very much
Actually – there’s a story there. The international (i.e. Duty Free) leg of the journey back was from Sau Paulo. Sau Paulo airport has possibly the worst provisioned Duty Free shops I’ve ever experienced. No port, only a couple of brands of whiskey (though pretty much everything Johnny Walker make, if you’re into that), and just a single brand of Cachaça… and it wasn’t any of the ones I was looking for. Not that I’d have given it to you anyway, mind… ;o)
[...] she decided it wasn’t worth the effort. The bartender himself impressed me by knowing what a Caipirinha was, though admitted I would be unlikely to find one within the [...]
Ooo! Looks yum!