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Cocktails

Caipirinha

Caipirinha is a bright lime-led cocktail with a lively sugarcane base and a crisp, refreshing finish. Served cold, it works best for warm-weather drinking and casual social occasions.

Cocktailalcoholic27.9% ABV3 ingredients

At a Glance

211 kcalCalories
27.9%ABV
8.9gSugar
11.5gCarbs
1.79Std Drinks

Estimated from parsed ingredients and typical ingredient nutrition. Some ingredient data may be approximate.

These nutrition figures are approximate estimates for this recipe — actual values vary with your exact measures, brands and serving size.

On this page

How hard is it to make?

Moderatemuddled drink

Why: 3 ingredients, muddled drink, requires muddler

Estimated from the ingredient count and technique.

Ingredients & Tools

Tools:Muddler

How to Make It

  1. Place lime and sugar into Old Fashioned glass and muddle (mash the two ingredients together using a muddler or a wooden spoon).Muddled
  2. Fill the glass with ice and add the Cachaça.Fill

How to Serve

Glass
Old-Fashioned Glass
Temperature
Chilled
Ice
Ice
Method
Muddled
Served Chilled

Taste profile

Primary flavours

Supporting notes

Flavor tags are derived from ingredient-level flavor mappings.

Estimated sensory profile

StrengthLight – Strong
BodyLight – Full
SweetnessDry – Sweet
AcidityFlat – Crisp
FruitinessEarthy – Fruity
BoldnessDelicate – Bold
  • High ABV
  • Bright and citrusy

What do these dimensions mean?

Practical notes

Variations

Easy ways to adjust Caipirinha

For a sharper version, increase the citrus slightly. For a rounder version, add a touch more sweetener or use a richer base ingredient, but avoid hiding the fresh acidity.

When to choose it

How to decide if Caipirinha is right for you

Caipirinha is best when you want brightness and a clean tart edge. Choose it if citrus balance matters more than richness, creaminess or heavy sweetness. The listed serve is about 27.9% ABV, so strength is part of the decision.

Skip if

Skip Caipirinha if...

Skip Caipirinha if tart citrus is not what you want. Sour-style drinks rely on acidity, so they can feel sharp when you are looking for richness or sweetness.

About this drink

The Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail and is closely tied to cachaça, lime and sugar. Its roots are commonly associated with São Paulo state, while modern recognition treats it as a major symbol of Brazilian drinking culture rather than just a simple sour.

When to serve

  • SummerSuggested from its citrus notes.
  • Taco NightSuggested from its lime notes, pairing with mexican food and tacos.

Occasion tags are inferred from drink style, serving format, flavour profile, food-pairing theme, recipe metadata, and strict multi-signal supplemental rule matches.

Food pairings

Food pairings are derived from the drink flavour signature, mapped to one dominant pairing theme, then limited to coherent public suggestions.

Diet & lifestyle

Compatible, based on the listed ingredients

Not compatible

KetoLow-CarbLow-Sugar

Diet tags are ingredient-level and nutrition-estimate based. Product brands, preparation methods, quantities, and substitutions may change compatibility.

Alternatives to try

Choose an ingredient to see reviewed substitutions, or filter for a different preference.

Reviewed ingredient substitutions

Sugar2 tsp

Simple SyrupWorks, with a noticeable change
How much to use
Use about 1/4 oz simple syrup per teaspoon of sugar as a starting point.
What changes
Simple syrup can replace sugar, but it also adds water and dissolves more easily.
Vegan-compatibleVegetarian-compatibleGluten-free-compatible

Reviewed component substitutions are not guarantees that the replacement was tested in this exact recipe. Follow the reviewed adjustment note and taste before serving.

Preference filters use current ingredient, nutrition and diet evidence. They are not medical advice, and this database contract does not store user selections.

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Last updated

Ingredients, measures and method are taken from the source recipe; roles and serving details are mapped from reviewed evidence.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make a Caipirinha at home?
Yes. The Caipirinha uses 3 ingredients, making it easy to prepare at home. You will need a Old-Fashioned Glass. Use quality spirits and fresh ingredients for the best result.