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Cocktail History
The Winter Caipirinha (pronounced kai-pe-REEN-ya) is a modern cocktail of unknown origin that was published by Leblon Cachaça, a Brazilian brand of rum. It’s a cold-weather variation of the classic Caipirinha, the official drink of Brazil, and it calls for the original’s cachaça, simple syrup, and lime template but pairs them with açai berry liqueur, cranberries, and rosemary that add a unique bitterness to the already tart drink.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Cachaça: This is a type of rum made in Brazil from sugarcane juice, yeast, and water. We used Kachaça! Premium Cachaça because it’s smooth and well-balanced. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic White Cane Spirit in place of the rum.
Açaí Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with açai berries, sugar, and alcohol. We used FAIR Açaí Liqueur because it has a delicious tart flavor with unique notes of violet and blueberry. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Açaí Syrup in place of the açaí liqueur.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Lime: This is a round, green, and sour citrus fruit.
Cranberries: This is a small red fruit. We used fresh cranberries.
Rosemary: This is an evergreen herb. We used fresh rosemary.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Paring Knife: This is used to cut citrus into slices or wheels. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.
Muddler: This is used to muddle ingredients. We used the HQY Stainless Steel Cocktail Muddler.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Cocktail Pick: This is used to hold the garnish. We used one from the I-MART Stainless Steel Cocktail Pick Set.
Tasting Notes
The Winter Caipirinha features aromas of rosemary and cachaça’s slightly funky notes, and it bears a taste that starts with tart lime before mingling in the açaí and cranberry’s cool, wintry flavors, all of which go down along with cachaça’s signature rum-like taste on the finish.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We will admit that half of a lime might have ended up making this a bit too tangy once muddled, but the cocktail was overall a joy for both of us. Kendall’s only hesitation was the muddled bits left behind; she’d probably prefer a strained version if we made the Winter Caipirinha again, but that is part of its magic.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“While incredibly tart thanks to the lime and açai liqueur, I honestly really liked this drink, even though my first sip was a bit puckery and off-putting. The more I drank it, the more the other flavors came out; the açai berry brings an oddly cooling tone to the whole thing, the cranberries bring some seasonality, and, of course, the cachaça adds in its lingering sugarcane note. I enjoyed this quite a bit, and I think this one makes a deliciously wintry take on the Brazilian warm-weather classic.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“Although I’m in agreement with Alex about the amount of tartness being a little overbearing, this wintry version of the Cachaça-based Caipirinha was still quite tasty. I was really excited to see a use for our açaí berry liqueur too; we bought a bottle a year or two ago now and have never really found a good use for it. Its tangy flavor was a tasty match for the sugarcane rum. The only reason I likely won’t make this again, at least not this way, is because I am not a fan of citrus and berry chunks floating in my drinks. Feeling them on my tongue when I sip the drink takes me out of the moment too much. If this one were strained and maybe stretched a little with soda water, I’d make it again.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from Leblon Cachaça, a Brazilian brand of rum.
Cut lime into three slices.
Add lime slices pulp side up, six cranberries, and one rosemary sprig to a shaker.
Muddle gently for 5-7 seconds.
Add cachaça, açaí liqueur, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Pour into a lowball glass.
Garnish with remaining three cranberries and two rosemary sprigs.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut lime into three slices.
Add lime slices pulp side up, six cranberries, and one rosemary sprig to a shaker.
Muddle gently for 5-7 seconds.
Add cachaça, açaí liqueur, and cubed ice to shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Pour into a lowball glass.
Garnish with remaining three cranberries and two rosemary sprigs.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic White Cane Spirit in place of the rum and Monin Premium Açaí Syrup in place of the açaí liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Winter Cocktails
If you like this winter-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Chartreuse Toddy: A brandy cocktail made with water, Green Chartreuse, lemon juice, honey syrup, and star anise
Winter Mojito: A rum cocktail made with lime juice, winter herb syrup, soda water, a lime slice, and rosemary
Winter Pimm’s Cup: A Pimm’s liqueur cocktail made with lemon juice, simple syrup, ginger syrup, American lager, blood orange slices, cranberries, rosemary, and oregano
Frostbite: A tequila cocktail made with blue curaçao, white crème de cacao, heavy cream, and a cherry
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