Ingredients
Drink
- 60 mlvodka
- 1lime, cut into 8 wedges
- 2 tspcaster sugar
- crushed ice
Directions
- Cut the lime into eight wedges and slice away the white pith running down the central spine of each one. Pith is bitter, and muddling drives that bitterness straight into the drink.
- Put the lime wedges and the sugar into a heavy rocks glass.
- Muddle firmly but briefly, pressing down and twisting rather than grinding. You are after the juice and the oil from the skin, not shredded peel.
- Stop as soon as the sugar has dissolved into the juice. Over-muddling is the standard mistake with this drink and it makes it harsh.
- Fill the glass to the top with crushed ice and pour the vodka over it.
- Stir well from the bottom with a bar spoon, bringing the sweet syrup at the base up through the ice.
- Top with a little more crushed ice and serve with a short straw.
Technique
- It is a caipirinha built with vodka instead of cachaça, and it appeared in Brazilian bars in the late twentieth century as vodka gained ground.
- Granulated sugar in the glass, never syrup. The crystals are part of how it is built and how it drinks.
- Serve it in the glass it was made in. Straining it defeats the point.
Substitutions
- Cachaça, which makes it a caipirinha.
- Sake, which makes it a caipisake, or saqueirinha.
Variations
- With passion fruit, kiwi or strawberry muddled in alongside the lime.
- With a splash of soda for a longer drink.
- With a few basil leaves bruised in with the lime.
History
Appeared in Brazilian bars in the late twentieth century as vodka gained ground on cachaça.
Frequently asked questions
What is Caipiroska?
Caipiroska is a cocktail from Brazil: vodka, lime and sugar muddled over ice, a vodka caipirinha. Appeared in Brazilian bars in the late twentieth century as vodka gained ground on cachaça.
How long does Caipiroska take to make?
Caipiroska takes 5 min of preparation and no cooking at all. The recipe makes 1 drink. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Caipiroska?
Yes, within limits. Cachaça, which makes it a caipirinha. Sake, which makes it a caipisake, or saqueirinha.
What is the most important thing to get right in Caipiroska?
Muddle firmly but briefly, pressing down and twisting rather than grinding. You are after the juice and the oil from the skin, not shredded peel.
