On my recent trip to Miami, I was lucky to try some cocktails that I’ve never experienced before. One that really stood out to me was the Caipirinha — a wonderfully tart and refreshing drink that I loved so much, that I ended up getting a second round (even though it was the first thing in the morning. Hey, I was on vacation).
While ordering an early brunch, I asked the waiter for a recommendation for a drink. He enthusiastically recommended this one, saying it was Brazil’s national cocktail using their national liquor, cachaca — a hard liquor made from sugarcane juice, which he told me was similar to rum. I was like “hell yeah man, sounds lit,” and eagerly waited for my drink. Before long, he returned with this lime-filled beauty, which I downed in half a minute because it was so delicious.
As it turns out, the Caipirinha is a simple drink — consisting of just lime, sugar, and ice. One squeezes lime wedges in a class (dropping 2 pieces of it in), adding sugar, and muddling it with a spoon or something that can muddle things. One then adds ice, pouring in cachaca, and voila, you’ve got yourself a Caipirinha. Since I enjoy a simplistic cocktail that’s devoid of artificial syrups and colors that would probably make me nauseous, I was more than happy with this one. I was also super happy that it’s so simple, so I’d easily be able to make them at home and for my friends.
Also, as a vodka drinker, there is an option to make it a “Caipiroska” — pretty much the same drink, but subbing vodka for cachaca. Either way, I was really happy that the server recommended this drink, as this experience ended up incorporating 2 of my favorite things: day-drinking and learning.
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