beach and caipirinha in rio de janeiro
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The Caipirinha: drinking in Rio de Janeiro

The Caipirinha: typical drink in Rio de Janeiro

The caipirinha is the most traditional and well-known cocktail in Brazil, it is prepared with a mixture of lemons, sugar, crushed ice, and the inevitable Brazilian cachaça. The cachaça or cachaza, is a drink or liquor based on sugar cane, a little similar to brandy and rum (but more distant from rum). Caipirinhas are one of those very simple and easy to prepare cocktails, however many bars / restaurants tend to spoil them. When a cocktail or drink is very simple, the most important thing is the quality of the ingredients, and of course not be mean with the ingredients.

The Caipirinha: a bit of history

The origin of the caipirinha is in the 19th century. It was a Brazil from the time of the slaves, who liked to drink “garapa”, which is a sugar cane juice. For historians, the caipirinha was created by landowners in the Piracicaba region, São Paulo state, during the 19th century, for high-ranking parties and events, reflecting the strong sugar cane culture in the region. Caipirinha in its early days was seen as a good quality local substitute for imported whiskey and wine, being frequently served at high-class cocktails, cattle sales, and high-profile events.

During the festivities and rituals, they mixed said “garapa” with the cachaça. They also mixed fruit or spice juices, and thus the smoothies were later born. As the most famous was the “batida de limão”, prepared with lime juice, it was later and officially the predecessor of the caipirinha. As time passed, the well-known limao shake evolved, as they added pieces of lime, since the peel gave it a particular flavor. The miracle was complete when man was able (from machines) to make ice, turning it into a more refreshing drink, and making it richer and more popular.

After the independence of Brazil, which spent a long time searching for its own identity through literature and art, while trying to make itself known in international trade, little by little the drink became known, although it was not easy, due to the vastness of the country and how isolated some areas were. Even so, cachaça, and consequently caipirinha, has been established as a common denominator among the majority of Brazilians, including foreigners. It is a unique product that was manufactured locally, and it was also considered as a remedy against the influenza epidemic and against the sterility of men to have children that devastated the country in the beginning of the XX century.

The Caipirinha variations

Variations of caipirinhas with different liquors and drinks:

Caipiroska: made with vodka instead of cachaça
Caipisake: sake, a Japanese liquor, is used and usually contains fruits
Caipirissima: rum is used instead of cachaça
Caipimojito: a version of the mojito with cachaça instead of rum
Caipirita: margaritas made with cachaça instead of tequila, or also
Caipirila: caipirinha made with tequila instead of cachaça

Caipirinhas are generally prepared using white cachaça, but you can also get aged cachaça. This variety of cachaça is aged in barrels and has a more intense flavor. The caipirinhas are also prepared with the aged cachaça. There are many variations of the traditional caipirinha. They can be prepared with a variety of fruits, in that case they are called caipifrutas.

How strong is the Caipirinha?

The caipirinha is a very strong cocktail, the proportion of alcohol to the rest of the ingredients is high, and therefore it is a drink that you have to drink slowly and in sips to enjoy it. There are certain places, and certain foods, that are ideal to have a good caipirinha, such as the beach, or when you eat a good feijoada (a dish based on beans or beans typical of Brazil). And of course, parties and meetings to watch football matches or the Olympics are the perfect occasion to prepare these delicious caipirinhas.

caipirinha preparation infographic

How to prepare a Caipirinha?

To prepare a typical caipirinha is not a hard worlk. You have to use good ingredients and follow the steps:

The Capirinha: The ingredients

1 or 2 lemons cut in half lengthwiseand without the pith or white central part, they can be cut into quarters or left in half if they are small lemons
1 or 2 tablespoons sugar
2 ounces of cachaça or cachaça
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice – optional and to taste
Crushed ice to taste
At your service:
Lemon slices

The Caipirinha: Preparation

The caipirinha can be prepared directly in a glass (medium, not very tall) or in a shaker, the lemon pieces are mixed with the sugar and a cocktail masher is used to gently crush and extract the juice from the lemons.

Then the cachaça and the lemon juice are added, everything is stirred well. If I prepare it in a cocktail shaker, pour the drink, including smashed lemons, into a glass with crushed ice. If the cocktail was prepared directly in the glass, add crushed ice and stir lightly. Serve immediately garnished with a lemon wedge.

 

 

 

 

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Enjoy our tours to visit Rio de Janeiro and other destinations in Brazil

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