We spent our first night in Chicago taking in some new sights and some new drinks! Dinner at Carnivale, a Latin-fusion restaurant, was the perfect way to kick off our night with friends.
Big colors and big flavors!
The food was fantastic, but the one part of the meal that really stood out was cocktail hour! I was introduced to Brazil’s national cocktail, the Caipirinha! (Don’t ask me how to pronounce it.)
Cheers!
It’s a delightful cross between a mojito and a margarita! Muddled limes, sugar, and sweet Brazilian rum called cachaca. (Don’t ask me how to pronounce that, either. Ich spreche Deutsch.)
Square Meal gives a brief history of the delicious, but strong, drink:
“It seems likely that the caipirinha evolved as workers on Brazil’s sugar cane plantations looked for a palatable way to drink the cachaça they were helping to produce. An alternative story has it that Portuguese slave traders returning to Europe would use limes to prevent scurvy, which they added to the cachaça they’d picked up in Brazil and combined with sugar for sweetness.”
This website also has a nice little pronunciation guide and recipe if you’d like to make one, or order one without sounding silly. Apparently this refreshing cocktail is becoming more popular in the U.S. If I can get my hands on this delicious rum, the caipirinha may make an appearance at my next gathering!
What’s YOUR favorite summer cocktail?
