Brazilian Caipirinha Cocktail
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Caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, is a light, zesty, and refreshing beverage, that you really must try! It is made with Cachaça, a sugarcane liqueur similar to rum in flavor, lime juice, and sugar – it’s really easy to make and served on the rocks. A simple, yet delicious cocktail that is perfect for summer parties or sipping in the sunshine!
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Caipirinha Cocktail
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions and to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required as well as understand the steps and timings involved.
Caipirinha (pronounced kai-puh-ree-nyuh) is Brazil’s national cocktail, made with lime, sugar, and cachaça (pronounced ka-SHAH-suh).
Cachaça is a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice, and it is sometimes described as Brazilian rum as it is a similar flavor.
If you can’t get a bottle of cachaça you could use white rum in this cocktail.
Now that I’ve said that cachaça is like rum, you might think that a Caipirinha is just like a Mojito. And in a way, I guess so, BUT, Mojitos are Cuban and also have mint in them. So not really the same!
Chances are though, if you enjoy drinking Mojitos, you’ll enjoy drinking Caipirinhas!
More Cocktails To Make
Want to make more cocktails? I think you’re going to love these ones:
- Tropical Paradise Cocktail with Rum & Banana Liqueur
- Refreshing Watermelon Vodka Slush Cocktail with Lime
- Skittles Vodka Cocktail + How To Infuse Vodka with Skittles Candy
Caipirinha Variations
If you love to experiment with cocktails why not try muddling different fruits with the limes as a twist on the Brazilian Caipirinha! Follow the recipe card but pop in these fruit suggestions.
- Tropical fruits – pineapple, guava, mango, lychee, pomegranate
- Mixed fresh berries or individual berries – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.,
- Other citrus fruits – oranges, lemons, grapefruits, etc.,
- Adding in fresh herbs such as mint, basil, thyme or rosemary
Frozen Caipirinha
Want to turn this cocktail into a frozen slushie? There is a way!
Make a lime simple syrup by placing 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon lime zest, and ½ cup fresh lime juice into a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved – about 3 minutes. Cool and pour into an ice cube tray and freeze.
When the sugar lime ice cubes are frozen, place a couple into a blender with more ice and a shot or two of cachaça and blitz to desired consistency. Serve with a straw, and watch out for brain freeze!
Caipirinha Party Punch
Want to make Caipirinha for a crowd? It’s so easy! Here’s how to do it!
As long as you use the same measuring container (glass, cup, jug, etc.,) for the “1 part”, the ratios will be correct and you can make as much as you need to.
Serve in drinks dispensers, pitchers, or go really retro and serve it from a punch bowl! Whichever container best suits your event (and the drink!).
Make sure you add plenty of ice to your serving receptacle of choice to keep the cocktail chilled and add lime quarters in there too.
You could also skewer the fruit onto cocktail picks and leave a plateful near the glasses so that guests can garnish their drinks.
Speaking of which, place cocktail glasses (traditionally rocks glasses for this cocktail) in the serving area along with a filled ice bucket.
To make a big batch of Caipirinha Party Punch, mix together:
- 1 part Lime Simple Syrup (recipe above)
- 2 parts Cachaça
- Club Soda (optional, to make the drink longer)
This cocktail recipe is intended for adults of the legal drinking age in your country of residence.
Please drink responsibly. Do not drink and drive.
How Do I Make a Caipirinha Cocktail?
Just check out the recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, any pics don’t print to save your ink!).
Caipirinha Cocktail
Ingredients
- ½ lime cut into small wedges
- 1-2 tsp sugar to taste
- 2 oz Cachaça
- Ice Cubes
- Club Soda optional
- Fresh Mint Leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Place the lime wedges and sugar into a rocks glass and muddle using a muddling tool, or the end of a small rolling pin.
- Pour Cachaça into the glass with ice cubes and top with club soda if using to make a long drink.
- Garnish with mint leaves, optional.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Meal!
The beverage is covered, but what about other dishes to make this recipe into a full meal? Here are my suggestions!
- Appetizer: Black Bean Salsa Cups Appetizer
- Main Dish: Brazilian Churrasco Beef with Tomato Salad
- Dessert: Coconut Pineapple Cupcakes with Rum
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy! Please feel free to check them out too.