Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: - minutes | Serves: 1
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America has its fair share of classic cocktails, and innovative bartenders experimenting with traditional drinks have propelled our craft cocktail scene to new heights. But in some nations, a single cocktail is so synonymous with the country, that it stands as a point of national pride. For Cuba, it's the Cuba Libre. For Singapore, it's the Singapore Sling. And for Brazil, it's the Caipirinha.
Walk into any bar in Brazil, and bartenders will be busily pouring this mix of lime, sugar and cachaça – the country's ubiquitous national liquor distilled from fresh sugarcane juice. The cocktail is at once spirit forward and incredibly refreshing, evoking images of a balmy day in the Amazon.
This version calls for the welcome addition of fresh ginger, giving the drink an even more refreshing quality – plus a hint of spice. No, it's not traditional – but if the American craft cocktail scene has taught us anything, it's that even classics can benefit from a tiny bit of innovation.
*Recipe and photo courtesy of The Food Channel.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cachaça
- 1/4-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 lime, rinsed and quartered, plus thin wedges for garnish
- 2 teaspoons raw or turbinado sugar
Preparation
- Add fresh ginger, a quartered lime wedge and sugar to a rocks glass.
- Using a muddler, press down and twist the ginger and lime to release the juice and the oils from the peel.
- Add crushed ice, pour cachaça over ice and stir. Squeeze a lime wedge into glass and serve.
