Caipiroska is a Brazilian cocktail similar to caipirinha, but made with vodka instead of cachaça. It is made with sugar, lime juice, and vodka, and often served with lime wedges and sugar cane stalks. The drink is popular in Brazil and throughout South America, with commercial varieties extending to other fruits.
Caipiroska is the name of a Brazilian cocktail made with little more than lime juice, sugar, and vodka. It’s a variation of the more popular caipirinha, a similar drink centered around a more rustic, often homemade sugar cane liqueur. The ingredients in Caipiroska are identical to the ingredients in Caipirinha, except for the alcohol in the center.
Vodka variety, like the original, is very simple to prepare. All you need is raw sugar, vodka of any variety, and fresh lime juice. These ingredients are mixed together, then served over ice, usually in a regular glass. Lime wedges and sugar cane stalks are popular side dishes.
Sugar cane grows wild and well in most of Brazil. Residents have used cane juices as sweeteners and, when fermented, as alcohols for centuries. One of the more traditional cane-derived liquors is cachaça, which forms the basis of the caipirinha drink. This lime-flavored drink is hailed by many as the “national cocktail of Brazil,” largely due to its popularity. It is served in homes and restaurants throughout Brazil and, where the cane liquor is available, around the world.
The taste of cachaça is often described as similar to light rum, but one of the better known variations of the drink uses vodka. A replacement for vodka leads to the drink being called caipiroska, or sometimes simply “caipivodka”. There are several theories describing the circumstances of the evolution of the drink.
One of the simplest guesses is based on the relative scarcity of cachaça outside of Brazil. Brazilian expats or travelers abroad may not have been able to satisfactorily recreate the taste of the drink with rum, but they have managed to create something new and enjoyable using vodka. Vodka is widely available around the world.
Another possibility is that the drink was introduced by the Brazilian elite who, with access to finer and often imported spirits, might have wanted a new twist on what could be considered a “low-class” drink. In Brazilian Portuguese, the word caipirinha is essentially a diminutive of the word “hillbilly.” It is not known whether these mixed drinks were ever exclusively associated with lower branches of society. Modern times have seen widespread acceptance of both the original drink and its vodka equivalent.
The vodka variation is so popular throughout South America that several vodka producers in that region distribute premixed caipiroska drinks. Lime is, of course, the more traditional flavor, but commercial varieties often extend to other fruits as well. Strawberry, passion fruit and mango are among the most common. Technically speaking, a caipiroska made with something other than lime is more properly called a caipifrutta, although caipiroska and caipirinha-flavored drinks are often simply identified by their dominant fruit.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
