The Rise of the Caipirinha, the Unofficial Cocktail of the Olympics
A few years back when the World Cup Soccer games were being held
in Brazil, the Caipirinha was all the rage and Cachaca was flying off of the
shelves even here in the United States. Here we go again, this time it
is the Rio Olympics and everyone is all about the Caipirinha again. Today
here in the United States, the most readily available are Leblon and Ypioca
Cachacas, but if you can find it, Avua, Sabastiana, and Novo Fogo are some of
the finest quality ones.
Brazil has been turning sugarcane into distilled spirit for
at least as long as anyone in the Western Hemisphere and quite possibly longer.
Portuguese colonists planted sugarcane there as early as 1520 and by 1535 one
Erasmus Schetz, from Antwerp, was turning the stuff into booze. By 1585, there
were 192 working distilleries. That number would only go up: in 1629, it was
349. Today, the common estimate is 5,000. Estimate, because nobody knows for
sure:
The Caipirinha is a really great cocktail, closely a kin to the
Daiquiri and Ti Punch. It is a very refreshing cocktail that is given its
unique flavor by the Brazilian Spirit Cachaca. Cachaca is made from
fresh squeezed sugarcane syrup and presented after distillation in many forms
from the very raw high proof and unaged expressions to the ultra premium aged.
The friendliness of the cocktail is directly related to what you make it
with.
Ciapirinha
- 21/2 Oz. Cachaca
- 1/2 Lime Cut into Thirds
- 1 Bar Spoon of Sugar
Place
Lime wedges and sugar in a shaker and muddle. Add the Cachaca and ice,
shake until until chilled and pout into a large "Rocks Glass" with a
sugar in the raw rim. Garnish with a lime wheel.
