Caipirinha with Cachaca and Lime. A Classic Brazilian cocktail

Caipirinha with Cachaca and Lime. A Classic Brazilian cocktail

Good reasons to drink Caipirinha and other Cachaca based cocktails…..

You don’t really need a good reason, but…..The world cup started yesterday.  I will have to accept the inevitable reality that for the next 4 weeks, I am officially a World Cup widow.  I will be unlikely to get a word out of either Jamie or Mr PSGC for at least a month.  And this is despite the fact that Scotland didn’t even qualify.

I intend to drown my sorrows while at the same time expressing my support for this momentous sporting event……through the medium of bar tending!The more observant amongst you may have noticed that Abbi was not included in the family football fanatic list.  And yes I could use this time to spend more one on one time with her – but that will get in the way of my cocktail consumption.  I’ll pay for counselling when she’s older.

Obviously my first beverage would have to be a classic Caipirinha (pronounced Kai Pir Een Ya).

This is super easy, even when you’ve had 3 or 4!

This is like a Brazilian version of the Mojito.   Its base alcohol is Cachaca (pronounced Ka Cha Sa I think).  Despite this being Brazils national drink, it took me 5 shops before I could source some.  It is available online, but If you can’t find any, use vodka (which makes a Caipiroski).

Ingredients (for 1 drink – but seriously who’s only going to have 1!)

• 2 teaspoons soft brown sugar  (You can use granulated no problem, but the brown sugar adds a deeper flavour)
• 1 limes cut into 6 wedges / chunks
• 50ml cachaca.  The brand I’m using is Sagatiba
• Ice to fill the glass

Place all but 2 of the the lime wedges and sugar in a tumbler  I’m using a wide mouth jam jar.  Muddle the lime and sugar. (Squish together in the glass to get out all the lime juice and dissolve the sugar).Add the cachaca and ice, and stir.   Garnish with the limes, and anything else you have that makes these pretty.

If you want to make party sized quantities of these, and don’t want to muddle each one individually, squeeze the juice from the lime separately.  Make a sugar syrup (sugar dissolved in water).  Add the lime juice, sugar syrup and cachaca to a jug, pouring over ice packed glasses.  But be warned, these are pretty potent.