From countryside roots to the world’s most exclusive cocktail bars; this little drink has come a long way

Photography: Rob Palmer

RECIPE

50ml Cachaca

Half a fresh lime (cut into wedges)

12.5ml sugar syrup OR 2 bar spoons super fine white sugar

Squeeze and drop the lime wedges into a Boston glass. Add the sugar and muddle. Add the Cachaca and fill with cubed ice. Shake vigorously and pour entire contents into a large rocks glass.

Brazil is hot right now. From Havaianas to Giselle and of course their unique approach to waxing; the world can’t seem to get enough of all things Brazilian. And that includes its native spirit cachaça and its most popular cocktail, the Caipirinha.

No one really knows who first created the Caipirinha but the history of cachaça goes back nearly five hundred years when Portugese plantation owners began distilling sugar cane juice for their slaves to encourage them to work harder. Over the years the crude spirit improved, slavery was abolished and by the early 20^th century cachaça had become a crucial part of Brazilian culture across all classes.

The Caipirinha is the most famous and popular way of serving cachaça. A simple combination of readily available Brazilian green lemons (lemon subtil) are combined with sugar and cachaça to create one of the world’s most refreshing drinks. There is an old adage in Brazil: quanto pior a cachaça, melhor a caipirinha––the worse the cachaça, the better the Caipirinha. Consequently, most experts believe it’s best to use non-aged or white cachaça in your Caipirinhas.

The name caipirinha is derived from the Portuguese word caipira which translates to hillbilly or hick or if you prefer a more politically correct term, try ‘person from the countryside. The -inha suffix means little or small so it sort of translates to ‘little hillbilly drink’. Regardless of its countryside roots, the Caipirinha has come along way and is now being swilled in some of the world’s ritziest cocktail bars with an equally ritzy price tag to match.

VARIATIONS:

A Caipirinha made with Rum is called a Caipirissima

A Caipirinha made with Vodka is called a Caipiroska

A Batida is a another Brazilian cachaca-based. It is made with cachaça, fruit juice or coconut milk, and sugar and can be blended or shaken with ice.

This story appeared in Australian Bartender magazine, Issue 85. 2007