Ingredients
The drink
- 60 mlgrogue, Cape Verdean cane spirit
- 1lime
- 2 teaspoonssugar
- crushed ice
Sometimes used
- mel de cana, sugar cane honey
- a splash of soda water
Equipment
- a short heavy glass
- a muddler or the end of a wooden spoon
- a short straw
Directions
- Use a lime that feels heavy for its size. Roll it firmly on the worktop before cutting. Preparing the lime takes a moment.
- Cut the ends off the lime and discard them. Cut it in half down its length. Cut out the white pith running down the centre.
- Cut each half into four thick wedges. You should have eight pieces in total. Put the lime wedges in a short heavy glass. Add the sugar directly on top of them.
- Press firmly but do not pulverise the peel. Work around the glass pressing each piece.
- Keep going until the sugar has mostly dissolved. The glass should smell strongly of lime oil.
- Fill the glass with crushed ice. Pour the grogue over all the ice. Stir it well from the bottom upwards. Bring the lime and sugar up through the ice.
- Taste it once it is properly mixed. Add more sugar if it is too sharp. Add more lime if it tastes flat. It should be tart, sweet and strong together.
Technique
- Grogue is distilled from fresh sugar cane juice rather than molasses, which puts it in the same family as cachaca and rhum agricole.
- Cape Verde and Brazil were both Portuguese cane colonies, and the drink travelled along those Atlantic connections.
Substitutions
- Cachaca or a white rhum agricole stand in for grogue closely.
- Mel de cana, thick cane syrup, replaces the sugar for a darker drink.
Variations
- A version made with mel de cana rather than sugar is common.
- Some bars add a splash of soda water to lengthen it.
- Ponche, grogue mixed with cane honey and lemon, is the other Cape Verdean drink.
History
Cape Verde makes the Brazilian caipirinha with its own cane spirit, a habit reinforced by long Atlantic ties with Brazil.
Frequently asked questions
What is Caipirinha de grogue?
Caipirinha de grogue is a cocktail from Cape Verde: lime and sugar muddled with grogue and ice in a short glass. Cape Verde makes the Brazilian caipirinha with its own cane spirit, a habit reinforced by long Atlantic ties with Brazil.
How long does Caipirinha de grogue take to make?
Caipirinha de grogue takes 5 minutes of preparation and none of cooking. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Caipirinha de grogue?
Yes, within limits. Cachaca or a white rhum agricole stand in for grogue closely. Mel de cana, thick cane syrup, replaces the sugar for a darker drink.
What is the most important thing to get right in Caipirinha de grogue?
Press firmly but do not pulverise the peel. Work around the glass pressing each piece.
