Caipirinha

The Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail but it has attained worldwide prominence over the last five years.

It should be made with cachaça, a Brazalian spirit. If you cannot buy cachaça then you can use rum. Some bars use vodka, making a caipiroska, but most caipirinha fans would agree that a vodka base is not an adequate substitute.

Ingredients

Serves 1

1 lime, quartered
1 to 2 tablespoons brown crystallized sugar
2 ounces cachaça
Crushed ice cubes

Put the brown sugar into the bottom of a highball glass and add the lime quarters. Using either a wooden pestle or end of a rolling pin to crush the limes.

Add the cachaça and then top up the glass to the rim with crushed ice. Drink through a straw.

Serving Suggestion

Caipirinha are dangerously 'moreish' and it's easy to forget how alcoholic they are, so treat with caution.