05/04/09: Summer Cocktails – The Caipirinha
I ended Mint Julep Week with a recipe for the Brandy Smash; along with making what I think is a superior Mint Julep it is also a very refreshing drink for hot summer days. This week I’ll be featuring more refreshing drinks as the weather hopefully starts to warm-up. All though it appears as though it is going to rain all week here in New York maybe these drinks can make you feel like it’s summer.
Todays drink is the national cocktail of Brazil a country where it is basically summer weather all year round. The Caipirinha is made with a Brazilian spirit called Cachaca distilled from fermented sugar cane juice. Basically it is the Brazilian equivalent of a white rum and hovering around 40% alcohol in the bottles that are readily available in most US liquor stores. If you enjoy Cachaca you will be interested to know about a product that hit the US market last summer; Dark or Aged Cachaca. The Brazilians have always had it two ways: mass produced, un-aged, White Cachaca and artisanal, aged, small batch, Dark Cachaca. I have not had much experience with the dark kind but it is becoming more and more available everyday, so check with you local liquor store. For Caipirinha, however, stick with the white stuff.
The Caipirinha:
-2oz Cachaca
-1 Whole Lime
-1 Tablespoon Sugar
Wash the lime, cut it in quarters and place it in the bottom of a high ball glass. Crush the lime with a pestle to release the juice. Pour the sugar over the lime add the spirit and stir . Fill with ice and stir again. If you want to go that extra mile a stick of sugar cane is a nice touch for garnish.
