Caipirinha
The most famous Brazilian cocktail seems simple, but requires practice to master. It has been on the official cocktail list of the International Association of Bartenders for years.
Ultimately, you want a balance between flavors: the liquor, the tartness of the lime, and the sweetness of the sugar. Feel free to adjust the amount of each ingredient until you find the combination that meets your taste. This version has worked well for me:
Ingredients
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1 Lime cut into 8 sections
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4 teaspoons of sugar
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1 tumbler full of ice
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1 shot of cachaça (I’ll usually add an extra half shot, just for good measure)
After cutting the lime into pieces, place it carefully in your glass. Make sure the flesh of the lime is facing up.
Next, put in the sugar. You will need a muddler, or some other hard instrument, to muddle the ingredients. You don’t need to beat up the limes; merely get the juice out.
After muddling, add ice, and then cachaça. Stir carefully.
Enjoy!
Rabo de Galo
The words Rabo de Galo literally translate to “tail of the cock.” Or cocktail. Behind the caipirinha, the Rabo de Galo is, perhaps, the most consumed cocktail in Brazil. That’s right, The Cocktail is an important cocktail and was recently placed on the International Bartenders Association official list.
The reason for that is obvious. It’s a simple drink to make. The great thing about this cocktail is you can use virtually any kind of cachaça to make it. We'll take a deeper dive into the complexities of the Rabo de Galo elsewhere.
Ingredients:
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50 ml silver or aged cachaça
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15 ml sweet red vermouth (think Martini & Rossi)
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15 ml cynar
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Ice
Stir ingredients in your preferred glass and enjoy!
Bitter Princess
A tasty cocktail for those who enjoy darker spirits.
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40 ml 4 wood blend
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30 ml Amaro
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30 ml Aperol
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Dash of bitters
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Ice
Stir ingredients together in your preferred glass and enjoy!
Fashionista
A new take on an old favorite, the Old Fashioned.
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One sugar cube
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A few dashes of bitters
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A few drops of soda water (to melt sugar cube)
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Classic large ice cube
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50 ml 4 wood blend cachaça
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Orange slice for garnish
Place the sugar cube in your tumbler, add the bitters and soda water, then muddle. Add your large ice cube and then 50 ml of your four-wood blend. Stir briskly. Enjoy!