Baboseiras et. al.: How to Make a Delicious Caipirinha

You! Yes, you, my non-brazilian friend, tell me please, how many nights you just couldn't sleep because you don't how to make one of the most famous drinks of Brazil? What?!? None?! Well, shame on you! But, don't worry, because today I will show you how to make one delicious capirinha. Oh you don't know how to pronounce caipirinha? I can teach you that, you can say it this way: kie-purr-REEN-yah. Yeah, thats right!

Ingredients

Lime;
White Sugar (around 3tbsp);
Ice;
Cachaça (ka-shah-sa);
For each caipirinha you will use, around 1 lime, 50-65ml of "ka-shah-sa", 1 and 1/2 tbsp of white sugar and about 5 ice cubes. The right measure will depends of your taste, if want it more sweet or no too strong (on "ka-shah-sa"). You can also use, instead of "ka-shah-sa" vodka for a caipiroska or white rum for a caipiríssima.

Steps

1. Cut the ends of the lemon and cut it in half lengthwise;

2. Remove the white membrane from inside which can let your caipirinha bitter;

3. Cut each half in half lengthwise, and then in transversal slices;

4. Place ½ lemon in the glass, with the shell side down and pulp up (otherwise, it can make your drink bitter);

5. Put 1 and a half tablespoons (18 g) of sugar (use 2 tablespoons for a more sweeter caipirinha);

6. Muddle the lime over the sugar. Not too strong or it will get bitter. Make repeated movements up and down putting a little pressure, but not too much, you don't want to grind the rind of the fruit;

7. Fill the glass with ice cubes;

8. Pour in the cachaça;

9. Stir;

10. Drink it!

Tips:

The perfect caipirinha is well balanced with sugar, lime and cachaça. Never let one flavor stand out more than one of the others;
Use superfine sugar to enhance the absorption of the sugar;
Always use a white, crystal kind of cachaça. Never use a golden toned, that is usually called "Cachaça Envelhecida". There's not a single caipirinha in Brazil that is made with this kind of cachaça;
In Brazil, caipirinha is commonly tasted in barbecues, so try to make some caipirinha in the next barbecue you go to;
Use an artisanal cachaça, rather than industrial. You get what you pay for;
If you can't find Brazilian cachaça you can try using white rum for a caipiríssima or vodka for acaipiroska. Some of the better brands of cachaça are Velho Barreiro, Mãe de Ouro, Água Luca, Beleza Pura, and Leblon;
You can use the back of a spoon if you don't have a proper muddler (a device similar to a pestle);
Muddle - muddling involves pressing and mixing ingredients such as fruit, peel, mint, etc. in the bottom of a glass over superfine sugar. The rough surface of the sugar helps break up the ingredients easily;
What Brazilian people often call a lemon is actually a lime;
Experiment other fruits rather than lime. Strawberry, watermelon, and kiwi are spectacular options;