Caipirinha

It was 1999. I had just graduated from graduate school and was celebrating in Miami, which at the time was the most Brazilian city in the U.S. My obsession with Brazil was in full force by this time and my beach tunes (played on a CD walkman, by the way) included Eliane Elias Sings Jobim.

Miami in 1999 was a Brazilophile’s paradise. It was my first visit to a Brazilian restaurant since this was before churrascarias appeared on the Chicago food scene. I can still remember my heart flutter as I tested my then-elementary Portuguese on the waiter/owner at Via Brasil in North Miami Beach. As we were leaving, I asked him if he knew where I could buy cachaça, the national spirit of Brazil made from sugar cane. He replied “Não! And if you find out where, please let me know!”

Fast forward to 2013 and cachaça is everywhere. Brands like Leblon and Sagatiba actively court American consumers. There are even brands that are distilled in Brazil for export only. And cachaça’s signature drink, the caipirinha, can be found at most upscale bars in bigger American cities.

Thankfully, you don’t have to go to an upscale bar to have a caipirinha. In fact, the best caipirinhas I’ve had have been made for barbecues or parties at home. You may think you know how to make a caipirinha -- just sugar, lime, cachaça and ice then muddle, right? Wrong. According to my friend João, an expert caipirinha-maker in Rio de Janeiro (and by expert, I mean he makes a lot of these for his friends), there is a secret, a segredo, to a delicious caipirinha that most outside Brazil don’t know.

João’s Caipirinha (makes one caipirinha)

1 lime
2 teaspoons of sugar (superfine if you want the sugar to dissolve completely)
1 jigger of cachaça (approximately 50 ml or 1.5 fl. oz.)
Ice

Step one:
Cut the lime into four wedges. And this is where the segredo comes in. Remove the center pith! Yes, that white stuff in the middle of each wedge? Get rid of it! João swears that with it, your caipirinha will have a bitter flavor. I tested the theory and can verify that it’s true. I find that cutting the pith out is easiest after cutting the lime in half.

Step two:
Put lime, sugar and cachaça in your glass or cocktail shaker and muddle using a muddler or wooden spoon. Personally, I like using regular sugar because I like the leftover crystals at the bottom of the glass once I’m done with my drink.

Step three:
Put in a handful of crushed ice. I learned from João that the best crushed ice comes from putting ice cubes in a clean dish towel then whacking them on the floor. Stir or shake.

Step four:
Put on some samba. For example, “Olho por Olho” by Beth Carvalho. Drink.

Here's me, João and his lovely wife Regina at the Centro Cultural Carioca in Rio, 2007:

If caipirinhas are standard at your parties and you want to take your cachaça connoisseurship to the next level, behold the Caipirinha Jello Shot.

Silvinha’s Caipirinha Jello Shot (makes 12 shots)

2 envelopes Knox gelatin (sorry vegans!)
1 ½ cups of Santa Cruz Organic Limeade
3 limes
Juice from the limes (about ¼ cup of juice)
¼ cup of chilled cachaça (I used Ypióca and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes)
1 tablespoon sugar

Step one:
Take limes and cut in half. Then cut the ends so the limes can stand upright like little cups (be careful not to cut too far into to the white part since you're putting liquid in these babies). Juice, then scoop out all the pulp and pith. Set lime cups aside.

Step two:
Bring the limeade to a boil with the added juice from the limes. Pour hot liquid over the gelatin and sugar and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes of stirring. DO NOT add the cachaça to the boiling liquid or you’ll cook the magic out.

Step three:
Add the chilled cachaça and stir. You can add more cachaça and less limeade but stick to the overall liquid measurements so your gelatin sets. One cup of liquid per gelatin envelope. Pour into the lime cups and refrigerate.

Step four:
Cut the halves into two wedges. You can cut some of the rind so it’s not sticking out if you didn’t pour enough liquid into the cup.

Step five (optional):
I garnished my shots with green sugar from Wilton. As I mentioned above, I love the leftover sugar at the bottom of a caipirinha and the added garnish gives the shot that same texture.

You can also substitute the Santa Cruz Limeade for another juice, like passion fruit or strawberry nectar and pour into clear shot glasses. In Brazil, there are caipirinha menus with varieties like pitanga and tamarindo. Experiment and you’ll find your favorite.

Beijo, amores!