Monday, April 28, 2008

Killer Caipirinhas

My mother-in-law is back in town, which always means trouble of some sorts. The last time she was visiting, trouble took the shape of mass quantities of sugar frosted sweets.

This time, trouble is taking the form of the zippy Brazilian beverage known as the Caipirinha (pronounced
KIE-PUR-REEN-YAH).

Yum.

In the two and a half months since she stayed with us last, my MIL has been backpacking all over South America. The gift she brought back for us was a lovely bottle of
cachaça (pronounced KA SHA SA) which is a national product of Brazil. In the US, cachaça is labeled as Brazilian rum, but it differs from most rums as it is made from sugarcane juice, rather than molasses. Cachaça has a rich history dating back over 400 years. The Caipirinha is Brazil's hottest drink made with it.

As avid history lovers, Will and I were more than happy to partake in this exotic cocktail. So, without further ado, my MIL put on the CD she bought in Peru and got busy crushing limes and ice.

To make a Caipirinha, you need:

2 ounces of cachaça

sugar to taste

lime slices

ice

The ingredients are always crushed together in a glass using the blunt end of a wooden spoon or a wooden pestle made specifically for this task. Its pretty simple and you can alter how sweet or sour you want it to be by adding (or not) more sugar.


If you want to make this drink, but don't have
cachaça handy, there are other variations. A Caipirissima is like the Caipirinia, but mixed with rum instead of cachaça. And if you use vodka, you will have a Caipiroshka.

Go ahead and give it a try. As the weather warms up, there is nothing quite like the zesty and sweet taste of a Caipirinha!



12 comments:

Denise Felton said...

Ooooooooo. I've GOT to try this. How hard is it to get the foundational substance in the U.S.?

Mixed Species said...

Well .... there went this weekend!

Thanks!!

Anonymous said...

There are several brands in the US. The more 'basic brands' are P-51 and Pitu (these are much stronger tasting and not as well made).

The better quality brands are ones like Leblon and Fazenda Mae de Ouro (these are considered Premium and both take a more hand crafted approach)

There is nothing better then a caipirinha, especially for the summer.

Enjoy

Unknown said...

Hey thanks, Anonymous!!! I had no idea!!

Waterrose said...

We have friends from brazil and they introduced us to this lovely drink...refreshing!

UniqueNurseGranny said...

Interesting.As a history lover would like the real thing..with lots of sugar like your MIL?

UniqueNurseGranny said...

Interesting.As a history lover would like the real thing..with lots of sugar like your MIL?

Winklepots said...

I know what we're having when I visit! :o) We'll be lushes together.

Rosebud Collection said...

That looks very tasty..even in the cold weather..

Unknown said...

mmmmm thats looking pretty delicious right now!

Katie L. said...

Your MIL sounds awesome!

Anne said...

Ohhh, this looks to be the new summer drink!

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