Caipirinha

Cachaca is to Brazil’s CAIPIRINHA, as Tequila is to Mexico’s Margarita; though the Caipirinha is less Americanized as the Margarita. The Caipirinha’s basic recipe is very simple but requires that you muddle sugar onto crushed quarters of lime before adding cachaca. When prepared properly, it’s one of the most refreshing of cocktails. For a good Caipirinha, it’s worth having a bottle of cachaca on hand.

Requirements: Cachaca, fresh lime, sugar, muddler

• 3 oz. (2 jiggers) cachaca
• 1/2 large lime (3/4 of a small lime)
• 2 teaspoons sugar

Cut half lime into 4 quarters. Cut away white skin from lime to avoid bitterness. Put lime quarters into glass along with 2 teaspoons of sugar and crush with muddler, 14-15 times. Add cachaca. Add either small ice cubes or crushed ice. Stir well and garnish glass with lime wheel or wedge.

The facts about Cachaca: Cachaca is fermented and distilled from sugar cane, though not from the molasses side-product that rum requires. Cachaca is distinctly Brazilian because it is aged in Brazilian hardwoods; rum is aged in bourbon barrels constructed from American oak and can be made anywhere.

Comment: There are a couple of tips — First, using good Cachaca is key. I’ve been presented with two excellent bottles of cachaca which I list below. Second, the white skin on a lime can create a bitterness to the drink, so it’s recommended that it be cut away before adding to the glass. Getting the proper balance between sugary sweetness, strong cachaca and lime’s tartness is tricky and may require some improvisation. As someone who tries to limit sugar intake, I’ve tried all forms of alternative sweeteners and nothing works as well as plain old sugar.

Tim-tim! (pronounced “chin chin”)

Suggestions for Cachaca: Seleta cachaca (www.cachacaseleta.com.br); Vitalina — Serie Prata Cachaca