Caipirinha
Encyclopedia
Caipirinha is Brazil
's national cocktail, made with cachaça
(kaˈʃasɐ) (sugar cane rum), sugar
(preferably white powdered sugar, or any other sugar, even honey) and lime
. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled
alcoholic beverage
(also known as Pinga or Caninha). Both rum
and cachaça are made from sugarcane
-derived products. Specifically with cachaça, the alcohol results from the fermentation of sugarcane
juice that is afterwards distilled.
has designated it as one of their Official Cocktails
.
, which refers to someone from the countryside, being an almost exact equivalent of the American English hillbilly
. The word may be used as either a masculine or a feminine noun, but when referring to this drink it is only feminine (usage of diminutives is common in Brazil). In the Brazilian vocabulary, the word caipirinha is mostly associated with the drink itself rather than the class of person.
The CapiLao is a cocktail made by bartender Joey Donnelly using Laotian whiskey.
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
's national cocktail, made with cachaça
Cachaça
Cachaça is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane.It is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. It is also known as aguardente, pinga, caninha and many other names...
(kaˈʃasɐ) (sugar cane rum), sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
(preferably white powdered sugar, or any other sugar, even honey) and lime
Lime (fruit)
Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
alcoholic beverage
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
(also known as Pinga or Caninha). Both rum
Rum
Rum is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from sugarcane by-products such as molasses, or directly from sugarcane juice, by a process of fermentation and distillation. The distillate, a clear liquid, is then usually aged in oak barrels...
and cachaça are made from sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
-derived products. Specifically with cachaça, the alcohol results from the fermentation of sugarcane
Sugarcane
Sugarcane refers to any of six to 37 species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to the warm temperate to tropical regions of South Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six metres tall...
juice that is afterwards distilled.
Popularity
The caipirinha is the national cocktail of Brazil, and is enjoyed in restaurants, bars, and many households throughout the country. Once almost unknown outside Brazil, the drink has become more popular and more widely available in recent years, in large part due to the rising availability of first-rate brands of cachaça outside Brazil. The International Bartenders AssociationInternational Bartenders Association
The International Bartenders Association, often confused with the International Bar Association, founded on February 24, 1951 in the Saloon of the Grand Hotel in Torquay, England, is an international organization established in order to represent the best bartenders in the world.An annual event,...
has designated it as one of their Official Cocktails
IBA Official Cocktail
An IBA Official Cocktail is one of many cocktails selected by the International Bartenders Association for use in the annual World Cocktail Competition in bartending...
.
Name
The word caipirinha is the diminutive version of the word caipiraCaipira
Caipira is a Brazilian Portuguese term used to designate inhabitants of rural, remote areas of some Brazilian states—it refers to the people of lesser schooling. It can be considered pejorative when used to describe others, but it can also be used as a self-identifier without negative connotations...
, which refers to someone from the countryside, being an almost exact equivalent of the American English hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
. The word may be used as either a masculine or a feminine noun, but when referring to this drink it is only feminine (usage of diminutives is common in Brazil). In the Brazilian vocabulary, the word caipirinha is mostly associated with the drink itself rather than the class of person.
Variations
- The term caipirinha is sometimes used to describe any cachaça-and-fruit-juice drink (e.g. a passionfruit caipirinha, kiwi caipirinha or strawberry caipirinha).
- Caipifruta is a very popular caipirinha drink in Brazil, consisting of cachaça, crushed fresh fruits (either singly or in combination), and crushed ice. The most popular fresh fruits used to create caipifrutas are tangerineTangerine__notoc__The tangerine is an orange-colored citrus fruit which is closely related to the Mandarin orange . Taxonomically, it should probably be formally named as a subspecies or variety of Citrus reticulata; further work seems to be required to ascertain its correct scientific name...
, limeLime (fruit)Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
, kiwi fruit, passion fruit, pineapplePineapplePineapple is the common name for a tropical plant and its edible fruit, which is actually a multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It was given the name pineapple due to its resemblance to a pine cone. The pineapple is by far the most economically important plant in the Bromeliaceae...
, lemonLemonThe lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
, grapes, mangoMangoThe mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, cajá, and caju (cashew fruit)CashewThe cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
. - Caipisake (made with sake instead of cachaça) is also becoming increasingly popular, most commonly made with strawberries or kiwi.
Derivations
There are many derivations of caipirinha in which other spirits substitute for cachaça. The most well known include:- The Caipivodka (also known as CaipiroskaCaipiroskaCaipiroska is a form of Caipirinha prepared with vodka instead of the usual cachaça. It is a popular cocktail in Brazil and in Uruguay. It is also sometimes known as Caipivodka...
or Caipiroshka), in which vodka substitutes for cachaça.
- The Caipiroska Negra, Black Caipiroshka or Caipiblack is made with black vodka instead of cachaça.
- Caipiríssima is a caipirinha made with rum instead of cachaça; the word was coined for an advertisement for a popular rum brand in the late '70s.
- Caipirão is a recent derivation from PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. It's made using the Portuguese liqueur Licor BeirãoLicor BeirãoLicor Beirão is a Portuguese liqueur. Its recipe is a trade secret; the producer, J. Carranca Redondo, Lda., only states it is made from a double distillation of seeds and herbs from all over the world, including Malaysia, Brazil, and Thailand. It has 22% ABV.- Origin of the name :Beirão is...
instead of cachaça.
- CaipirItaly is a variation from ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It's made using CampariCampariCampari is an alcoholic apéritif obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit in alcohol and water. It is a bitters characterized by its dark red color....
instead of cachaça.
- Sakeirinha or Caipisakê is a version made with sake.
- Caipinheger is another variation made using SteinhägerSteinhägerSteinhäger is a type of German gin, a spirit flavoured with juniper berries. The name is derived from the village of Steinhagen in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is the only place where it is permitted to be produced....
.
See also
- CachaçaCachaçaCachaça is a liquor made from fermented sugarcane.It is the most popular distilled alcoholic beverage in Brazil. It is also known as aguardente, pinga, caninha and many other names...
- Cocktails with cachaçaCocktails with cachaça-Caipirinha:The Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail made with cachaça, ice, sugar, and lime. It is the drink most commonly associated with cachaça....
- List of cocktails with cachaça
- Cocktails with cachaça
- DaiquiriDaiquiriDaiquiri is a family of cocktails whose main ingredients are rum, lime juice, and sugar or other sweetener. There are several versions, but those that gained international fame are the ones made in the El Floridita bar in Havana, Cuba....
– similar Cuban cocktail - Ti'PunchTi'PunchThe Ti'Punch is a rum-based mixed drink that is especially popular in Martinique, Guadeloupe, Haiti, French Guyana and other French-speaking Caribbean states...
– similar French Caribbean cocktail - List of Brazilian dishes
- Sour (cocktail)Sour (cocktail)A sour is a traditional family of mixed drinks. Common examples of sours are the Margarita and the Sidecar. Sours belong to one of the old families of original cocktails and are described by Jerry Thomas in his 1862 book, How to Mix Drinks Sours are mixed drinks containing a base liquor , lemon...
The CapiLao is a cocktail made by bartender Joey Donnelly using Laotian whiskey.