The caipirinha cocktail, a Brazilian concoction made with cachaça, was one of our favorites from last summer, and we planned to play around with the flavors a bit using different fruits. Strawberries were an obvious place to start, and we came up with this one that reminds me of a strawberry creamsicle. My friend Kristy Bernardo hosted a Memorial Day bash at her house and invited everyone to bring their favorite cocktails and share, so we lugged all the strawberries, booze, whipped cream, muddler, shaker, and our huge pot of mint (Michael did it as a joke) over to Chez Bernardo, and Michael played bartender.
There are several layers of flavor in this drink: strawberries, lime, mint, cachaça, and whipped cream. You just muddle the strawberries, lime, and mint, then add the cachaça and ice and top off with a large shot of canned whipped cream. Shake it all up and you’ve got a sweet fruity drink to kick off the summer.
[Update: Thanks to Red Envelope for including this cocktail in their #redBar summer cocktails project!]
- 2 large strawberries, sliced
- 2 lime wedges, center pith removed (from lime cut into 8 wedges)
- 2 large mint leaves
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 ounces cachaça
- ice to top off the glass
- large shot of whipped cream (We use Land O Lakes whipped cream in a can, the light version.)
- small strawberries with green tops, cut in half
- Muddle the strawberries, lime wedges, mint leaves and sugar until the strawberries and limes are pretty well smashed. Add the cachaça and pack in the ice to the rim, then top with a large dollop of whipped cream. Shake vigorously in the cocktail shaker for about 10 seconds, then pour it all back into the glass. Make a slit in the bottom of the strawberry and slide it onto the rim of the glass, then serve.
10-ounce glass
muddler
cocktail shaker
More Summer Cocktails
myfudo says
May 28, 2012 at 8:58 amWow! Can’t wait to start mixing…I love the fruity flavor and the delicate pink color from the strawberries add a little more perk to this unique drink. Thanks! I will definitely try…
Intoxicology 101 says
May 28, 2012 at 5:10 pmGreat recipe. I’m a HUGE caiparinha fan but I’ve never played around with it this much. Gonna try this at my memorial day bbq today. Keep it up.
the wicked noodle says
June 2, 2012 at 2:08 pmThis cocktail was SO GOOD!! I’m so glad you guys could make it – it wouldn’t have been the same without you!
Andrea says
June 5, 2012 at 11:10 amThanks Kristy, we had a great time!