The 2014 World Cup is well under way, and what better way to enjoy the football than to kick back with a traditional Brazilian cocktail (also perfect for drowning your sorrows until the usual TV dramas return if you're not a footie fan...).
The caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail (which got us wondering whether Britain has a national cocktail too, but we're not sure Snakebite counts.)
Caipirinha roughly translates as "country bumpkin" - and the refreshing beverage makes the the perfect summer drink.
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With that in mind, we asked Chris Edwards, a cocktail expect from Salts of the Earth, for his tips on making the perfect caipirinha.
- Make sure the glass is approximately 400ml in size no smaller eg. flamenco rocks glass
- When making the drink, start with half a lime wedge a cut into 12 small pieces
- After muddling the lime pieces into a plup make sure you add 20ml fresh lime juice. This is important for consistency as the fresh lime pieces will vary in flavour/ tartness
- Add 25ml simple sugar simple (1:1). This should be simple sugar not raw sugar again for consistency
- Add crushed ice to fill the glass
- Add 50ml of good cachaca. We would recommend Albeha organic gold or Capucana
- Churn all ingredients thoroughly to ensure even distribution
- Top with more crushed ice till bountiful
- Garnish with fresh lime wedge & dehydrated sugared lime wheels
- Add 2 short fat straws for drinking
To make the drink even more special you can add another flavour or two. Below are a few of Chris' ideas:
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- Blueberry and violet
- Blood orange and raspberry
- Papaya and chilli
- Watermelon and pink peppercorn