The Caipiroska recipe
for your table
Cut the lime into eight wedges and remove the white core.
Put the wedges and cane sugar in a thick-walled glass and muddle them with a muddler.
Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour the vodka over it.
Stir firmly from bottom to top and serve with a short straw.
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The story
The caipiroska is not a centuries-old drink but a variation that originated in Brazil when vodka became readily available there in the second half of the twentieth century. The name is a combination of caipirinha and a Russian-sounding suffix referring to vodka; in Brazil itself, you also simply hear caipirinha de vodka. No one knows exactly when the first one was poured. Its rapid rise in popularity is due to vodka being available everywhere, while cachaça remained difficult to find outside Brazil for a long time.
The right glass
You make the caipiroska in the glass, so you need a low, thick-walled model that can withstand a muddler. A 32 to 37 cl tumbler with a heavy base is the right size: enough room for a whole lime and crushed ice, and sturdy enough to muddle without worry. The wide opening makes stirring from bottom to top easy and shows off the green beautifully. Thin-blown glass is not a good idea here. Looking for an extra-heavy model with a thick base? Take a look at our old-fashioned glasses.
RCR Adagio Tumbler 35 cl (6 pieces)
Eclat Longchamp Tumbler 32 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 62,90.
The right tools
For a Caipiroska, besides the glass, you use a muddler, a bar spoon for stirring, a jigger for precise measuring, large ice cubes and glass straws. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Large cubes melt slowly, so your drink gets less diluted
With crushed ice, drink with a straw
Glass set (our choice 01) + 5 bar tools together € 111,70.
What do you make a Caipiroska with?
For a Caipiroska, you need the right base. On each liquor page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Muddle strawberries, passion fruit, kiwi or watermelon into it; in Brazil, this kind of fruit version is called a caipifruta. With sake, you get a caipisake, smoother and lightly rice-sweet. Brown cane sugar gives a deeper, almost caramel-like drink, while a few mint leaves push it towards a mojito. Want it lighter? After stirring, top up the glass with a splash of sparkling water. You can find the original with cachaça on our Caipirinha page. With cachaça and fresh passion fruit, it becomes a Passion Fruit Caipirinha.
Serving tip
Roll the lime firmly over the counter before cutting it to release more juice. Use real crushed ice, not whole cubes: fine ice chills faster and binds the sugar better. Serve with a short straw, because the sugar settles at the bottom.
Good to know
Muddling without bitterness
Cut the lime into eight wedges and remove the white pith, as that is where the bitterness is. Put the wedges in the glass with two teaspoons of cane sugar and press them: twist and press, do not pound. The sugar crystals scrape over the peel and release the oil, and that oil is precisely what sets a caipiroska apart from vodka lemonade. Pressing five or six times is enough; if you continue until the peels break apart, the bitter pith will be released after all. A wooden or plastic muddler works best; see our muddlers.
Caipiroska or caipirinha
The recipe is identical apart from the base spirit. The caipirinha uses cachaça, distilled from freshly pressed sugarcane juice, which gives it a grassy, slightly wild undertone. The caipiroska uses vodka, which contributes almost nothing of its own, allowing the lime and sugar to come through more sharply. If you find cachaça too raw, vodka is the better choice; if you are looking for that typically Brazilian note, stick with the original. They hardly differ in strength, as both base spirits usually range between 38 and 45 percent ABV. In both cases, you muddle each glass.
Which vodka should you choose
Because vodka adds very little flavor here, what matters most is how clean it tastes. A multi-distilled grain vodka of around 40 percent ABV does the job perfectly well and need not cost a fortune. Potato vodka has a creamier texture and gives the drink a slightly fuller body; rye brings a subtle pepperiness that pairs well with lime. You can use flavored vodka with lemon or vanilla, but then the bottle drives the flavor rather than the fruit. Put the bottle in the freezer an hour before use so less ice melts.
The caipiroska cocktail alongside the mojito
The caipiroska cocktail and the mojito share lime and sugar, but otherwise they differ. The mojito is made with white rum, mint, and sparkling water, making it long, light, and refreshing; the caipiroska stays short and concentrated, with 6 cl of vodka in a glass full of crushed ice and nothing else. That makes quite a difference in strength: the sparkling water brings a mojito below ten percent ABV, while the caipiroska remains around fifteen percent. The Mojito recipe has its own page.
How much alcohol does it contain
It contains 6 cl of vodka, usually at 37.5 to 40 percent, plus lime, sugar, and crushed ice. Once the ice has partially melted, the drink in the glass is roughly 15 to 20 percent ABV, about twice the strength of a glass of wine. The fresh flavor masks this, which is why the drink is often underestimated. If you want it lighter, use 4 cl of vodka and top up with sparkling water. Put water on the table and keep an eye on your own pace.
The caipiroska cocktail in brief
The caipiroska cocktail is a caipirinha in which vodka takes the place of cachaça: one lime, two teaspoons of cane sugar, 6 cl of vodka, and a glass full of crushed ice. Everything happens in the glass; no shaker or strainer is needed, and it is ready in two minutes. If you make several for a group, muddle each glass individually rather than using a large pitcher: the lime oil evaporates, and wedges left in the drink for a long time eventually give it a bitter undertone.
Frequently asked questions
What is a caipiroska?
A caipiroska is the vodka version of a caipirinha: one whole lime cut into wedges, two teaspoons of cane sugar, 6 cl of vodka, and a glass full of crushed ice. You muddle the lime and sugar in the glass you drink it from. Without cachaça, it tastes cleaner and more direct than the Brazilian original.
What is the difference between a caipiroska and a caipirinha?
Only the base. A caipirinha is made with cachaça, distilled from freshly pressed sugarcane juice, which gives it a grassy undertone. A caipiroska uses vodka, which contributes hardly any flavor itself, allowing the lime and cane sugar to stand out more clearly. The proportions, technique, and glass remain exactly the same in both cases.
Which vodka do you use for a caipiroska recipe?
A clean grain vodka of around 40 percent is suitable; the vodka should remain in the background here. Potato vodka gives a slightly creamier drink, while rye adds a light pepperiness. Flavored bottles with lemon or vanilla can work, but then the bottle determines the flavor instead of the fresh lime.
Which glass do you use for a caipiroska?
A low, thick-walled tumbler measuring 32 to 37 cl with a heavy base, because you muddle in the glass itself. Thin glass cannot withstand that. The wide opening makes stirring from bottom to top easy; see our tumbler glasses for the right model.
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