Name: Caipirinha
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 1 lime , halved crosswise, each half quartered; 2 ounces cachaça; ¾ ounce recipe

Why This Recipe Works

The caipirinha is made simply from sugarcane rum, limes, and sugar. The main ingredient, cachaça, is often thought of as a type of rum, since both are made from sugarcane. However, whereas true rum is made from molasses (a by-product of sugarcane), cachaça is made by distilling fermented sugarcane juice, which makes it similar to rhum agricole (French Caribbean rum). Cachaça is less refined than most rums, lending it a grassier flavor. Whereas Americans are used to the caipirinha being served over crushed ice, in Brazil it is always stirred with cubed ice. In either case, the first step is muddling lime pieces, often with granulated sugar. We found a technique to muddle limes, then shake them with ice and Simple Syrup in order to fully incorporate the citrus and sweetener. Then, for the best of both worlds, we dumped it all straight into a glass without straining: This gave us a few pleasantly crunchy nuggets of cracked ice with some whole ice cubes that didn't overdilute the drink.

Before You Begin

Any cachaça will work with this drink, but we prefer the depth of flavor from an aged cachaça.

Instructions

Add lime pieces to base of cocktail shaker and muddle until broken down and all juice has been expressed, about 30 seconds. Add cachaça and simple syrup, then fill shaker with ice. Shake mixture until just combined and chilled, about 5 seconds. Pour contents of shaker into chilled old-fashioned glass (do not strain). Serve.