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Home » Drinks » Cocktail Recipes

How to Make the Caipirinha, Brazil’s National Drink

By Jacqueline Gualtieri | August 15, 2022 | Updated on November 16, 2023 | Leave a Comment
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Need something refreshing to sip this summer while you’re poolside? Here’s how to make a classic version of Brazil’s national drink, the Caipirinha.

Here’s the thing about the Caipirinha recipe: it’s not hard to make, but it’s easy to mess up. Brazil’s national drink is made with cachaça and is one of the most popular cocktails throughout South America.

You could kind of consider the Caipirinha the Daiquiri’s cousin, but unlike that tropical drink, there’s no rum to be found. Mostly because we put it in a really logical place and forgot where that was.
caipirinha recipe - cocktail

What is a Caipirinha?

A Caipirinha is a cocktail made with cachaça, lime, and sugar. That’s it. So even that friend who calls themselves a mixologist and only knows how to make a gin and tonic can probably make this.

Caipirinha Recipe - two caipirinha drinks

Caipirinha Ingredients

  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 oz. cachaça
  • ice

 

How to Make the Caipirinha

  1. Place the sugar and ¾ of the lime into an old-fashioned glass and muddle them.
  2. Fill the glass with ice.
  3. Pour the cachaça over your mixture. Stir.
  4. Garnish with remaining lime wedges.

caipirinha recipe - making cocktail
 

What’s the History of the Caipirinha?

Like many other drinks, the origins of the Caipirinha (pronounced “kai-pee-ree-nyah”) are a little nebulous. But its most common origin story claims it was used as a medicinal drink, like the Hot Toddy.

During an outbreak of the Spanish flu, it became common to drink a mixture of cachaça, honey, lime, and garlic. Did it work? Probably not. Were you so drunk on cachaça that you didn’t notice you were sick? Probably yes.

Another origin story claims that when sailors arrived in Brazil, they stopped mixing rum with citrus juice to fight scurvy and adopted cachaça instead. A caipirinha a day keeps terrifying old-timey doctors away!

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgo2P5COfp0/

 

Caipirinha Variations

The classic Caipirinha recipe only calls for three ingredients: lime wedges, sugar, and cachaça. But, if you see one on a menu, you may see a Caipirinha, Caipirinha Especial, or Caipirinha Luxo.

Which one should you order? That depends on how bougie you are.

caipirinha recipe - limes on table
Although cachaça is generally inexpensive — even most of the highest-rated single barrels top out around $50 — an Especial uses mid-range cachaça, which is a little more expensive and the Luxo uses premium cachaça.

Although the OG caipirinha is a traditional cocktail in Brazil, vodka has become a common variation.

This emergence led to the creation of the Caipiroska, aka caipirinha with vodka instead of cachaça. Does vodka have the same “medicinal” effects as cachaça? Asking for a friend.

Caipirinha Recipe

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
Here’s how to make a classic version of Brazil’s national drink, the Caipirinha.
caipirinha recipe
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Servings: 1 person

Ingredients

  • 1 lime (cut into wedges)
  • 2 tsp. sugar
  • 2 oz. cachaça
  • ice

Instructions

  • Add the sugar and most of the limes to a highball glass. Muddle.
  • Add ice.
  • Pour cachaça into the glass. Stir to combine.
  • Add remaining lime for garnish.
Nutrition Facts
Caipirinha Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 drink)
Calories 177
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Brazilian
Keyword: Caipirinha recipe
Author: Jacqueline Gualtieri
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below, then take a photo and tag @letseatcakeblog on Instagram so we can see it!
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Jacqueline Gualtieri
Jacqueline Gualtieri
Jacqueline Gualtieri is a writer and editor who loves all things pop culture. As an entertainment journalist, SEO specialist, and film and TV enthusiast, Jacqueline enjoys combining her love of writing with her love of Netflix and Disney. She currently covers pop culture trends, food news, and product roundups for Let's Eat Cake. Her work can also be found in HuffPost, Spoon University, and Insider. 

She's also a published short story author who has appeared in anthologies like A Murder of Storytellers and the Abstract Elephant. Jacqueline challenges herself to learn one new skill per year, so you can often find her struggling to master crocheting, knitting, and embroidery when she's not writing. 

Connect with her on her website or LinkedIn.
Jacqueline Gualtieri
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