Caipiroska Recipe: The Vodka Caipirinha

Caipiroska

All the sharp lime and cold crunch of a Caipirinha, but with vodka instead of cachaça. The result is cleaner and more neutral, so the fresh lime oil takes center stage.

4Editors’ rating

Taste4

Balance3.9

Easy to make4.8

Popularity45

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GlassRocks glass

TechniqueMuddled

DifficultyEasy

Time4 min

StrengthMedium (approx. 20 % ABV)

OriginBrazil

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Ingredients

2 oz vodkae.g. Absolut · Smirnoff · Grey Goose · Ketel One · Belvedere
1 lime cut into wedges
2 tsp sugar or 15 ml simple syrup

Garnish: Lime wedge · Ice: Crushed ice

Method

Cut the lime into wedges and remove the white core.
Muddle lime and sugar in a rocks glass until the sugar dissolves in the juice.
Fill the glass with crushed ice.
Pour over the vodka and stir from the bottom.
Top with more crushed ice and serve with a short straw.

Watch it made

Caipiroska

Taste

Bright, tart and sweet with pure lime flavor and a clean finish. Strong, but softened by crushed ice.

History and origin

The Caipiroska, also called Caipivodka, is a Brazilian variation on the Caipirinha. It follows exactly the same method of muddling lime with sugar and packing the glass with crushed ice, but replaces cachaça with vodka. The name borrows the Russian-sounding ending as a nod to the spirit.

It is served widely in Brazil and followed the Caipirinha abroad as that drink became an international favorite. Many bars outside Brazil offer it because vodka is easier to stock than cachaça. It is also the usual base for fruit versions with strawberries, passion fruit or kiwi, since the neutral spirit lets the fruit shine.

Bartender tips

Muddle gently: you want juice and oil, not bitter pith.
Simple syrup blends faster than granulated sugar, which helps when you make several.
A good, clean vodka matters here; there is nothing to hide behind.