My family pretty much grew up on sangria and margaritas, which is probably why those two always say "summer cocktail" to me. Until, that is, I tasted my very first cachaça cocktail.
One of my best friends in college, whose mom is Brazilian, made me a caipirinha one day—and I was in love. It's a drink similar to a Cuban mojito (another one of my favorites), but without the mint. The special thing about the cachaça liquor is that it's made from fermented sugarcane juice and quite different. In the end, though, who cares about all that? What I really care about is how delicious it tastes in these cocktails! Since today is International Cachaça Day, come and celebrate with me by making one of the great drinks, below.
Readmore ¿Qué más? 3 Irresistible sangria recipes perfect for Memorial Day
Do you drink the Brazilian liquor, cachaça? Which one of these cachaça will you be making this summer? Share with us in the comments below!
Caipirinha
Ingredients: 1 lime (quartered),2 tsp fine sugar, 2 oz cachaça
Directions:
Place the lime wedges and sugar into an old-fashioned glass. Muddle well to create a paste. Fill the glass with ice cubes. Pour in the cachaça. Stir well.
recipe courtesy of About.com
Bloody Carioca
Ingredients: 2 ozs cachaça (leblon), 5 ozs tomato juice, 12 oz lemon juice, 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce, 1 pinch celery salt, 1 pinch pepper (cracked), 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 1 pinch nutmeg, 1 pinch onion powder
Directions:
Shake all the ingredients on ice. Pour into a highball glass rimmed with paprika. Stir well. Garnish with a slice of cucumber.
recipe courtesy of Yummly
Pumpkin Caipirini
Ingredients: 1 1/2 oz Leblon Cachaça, 1/2 lime (cut into 4 wedges), 1/2 oz agave nectar, 1 1/2 oz pumpkin purée, 1/2 oz ginger liqueur
Directions:
Muddle the lime and agave nectar in a shaker. Add Leblon Cachaça, pumpkin purée, ginger liqueur and ice. Shake well and strain into martini glass. Garnish with nutmeg.
recipe courtesy of Gourmet Sleuth
Amazonia
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cachaça, 6 fresh mint leaves, 8 to 10 ice cubes, 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) apple juice, 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup, 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) Champagne or any sparkling wine, 1 apple slice
Directions:
In cocktail shaker, stir together cachaça and mint. Using wooden muddler or spoon, pound and press just until mint is bruised. Add ice, apple juice, lime juice, and simple syrup, and shake vigorously for 25 seconds. Strain into Champagne glass. Top with Champagne. Place apple slice in drink and serve immediately.
recipe courtesy of Epicurious
Banana Split Leite de Onça
Ingredients: 2 oz. CachaçaLiqueur, 2 oz. Milk, 1 oz. Cocoa Liqueur, 1 oz. Strawberry Liqueur, 1 oz. Banana Liqueur, 1 oz. Pineapple Liqueur, 2 oz. Condensed Milk, 1 tsp of Chocolate Syrup, 1 tsp of Grenadine, 1 Scoop of Ice Cream
Directions:
Before combining the ingredients, you wanna prepare everything individually in equal parts, excluding the cachaça liqueur, milk, and condensed milk. This would include: the cocoa, strawberry, banana, pineapple, grenadine, followed by the chocolate syrup and ice cream. After you have combined the ingredients, simply add the cachaça liqueur, milk, and condensed milk. In a practical sense, you should use a blender to blend this drink. Once you have finished, serve in a chilled, mug glass, on the rocks. Top the entire glass with whipped cream and serve with a maraschino cherry.
recipe courtesy of Yahoo! Voices
