Caipirinha Twists

The Caipirinha is one of those delightfully bright drinks that takes you on a sensory trip, destination Brazil. As great as the original, lime-yielding national drink of Brazil is, the flavor can be twisted by muddling other fruits into the cachaça cocktail. As soon as fresh raspberries come into season, try out the Raspberry Caipirinha. It’s a refreshing, fruity cocktail, perfect for lounging in the sun. Then, for the ultimate exotic Caipirinha experience, muddle a few kumquats with ginger and add cachaça for a Kumquat-Ginger Caipirinha. The flavor possibilities are endless with this versatile drink. Try a blend of any fruits and herbs: strawberry, mint, blackberry, blueberry, pomegranate, tangerine and honey are just a few ideas. Although the Caipirinha can be twisted into a variety of flavorings, it is important to start out with a premium cachaça. Many of the brands available are cheap and dirty and can ruin a perfectly good cocktail. My new favorite cachaça is undoubtedly Leblon as it is the smoothest cachaça I’ve had to date. One other decent cachaça you might try is Boca Loca.

Kumquat-Ginger Caipirinha Photo Courtesy of: © Leblon Cachaça