Caipirinha — Brazil's national drink is technically a mojito made

Brazil’s national drink is technically a mojito made wrong — and that’s exactly the point.

Ingredients

• 2 oz cachaca
• 2 teaspoons granulated white sugar

Method

Grab a rocks glass — you’re building this one right in the serving glass. Drop your lime quarters in first, skin side up. Add the granulated sugar on top. Now comes the muddle, and this is different from muddling mint in a mojito. You want to press and twist, not pound. Press each lime quarter against the bottom of the glass and give it a quarter turn. You’re extracting juice and oils, not pulverizing the fruit. Do this four or five times until the sugar starts dissolving and you can smell the lime oils. Add your cachaca and give it a quick stir. Fill the glass with ice — crushed ice is traditional but cubes work fine. Stir again to mix everything and chill it down.

Serve

Serve it exactly like this — in the rocks glass with all the muddled lime pieces. No straining, no garnish. The lime pieces are part of the drink.

Pro Tip

Your pro tip: if you can’t find cachaca, white rum makes a decent substitute, but the drink changes completely. Cachaca has that grassy, funky edge that rum can’t match. Look for brands like Novo Fogo or Leblon at better liquor stores. They’re worth seeking out because cachaca is having a moment, and this won’t be your last Brazilian cocktail.