Caipirinha: Brazil's National Cocktail

This absolutely wonderful cocktail comes to us from Brazil.  In fact, it's their national drink.  It's made with three familiar ingredients, limes, sugar, and soda water. But the heart of the drink is cachaça [kuh-CHAH-suh], a spirit made from sugarcane and tasting a bit like rum, without the bite.

It's very easy to make, and you can assemble one like this:





The Caipirinha
1 lime, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon sugar
3 oz cachaca
soda water

In an old-fashioned glass, muddle the lime, sugar and cachaca. Add a few ice cubes, a splash of soda water, stir and serve.

Film Recommendation: the 1959 film, Black Orpheus, is a retelling of the classic tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in modern-day Rio de Janeiro.