Caipiroska recipe
for your table
Cut the lime into eight wedges and remove the white center.
Put the wedges and cane sugar in a thick-walled glass and press them with a muddler.
Fill the glass with crushed ice and pour the vodka over it.
Stir well from the bottom up and add a short straw.
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The story
The caipiroska isn’t old. It originated in Brazil, when vodka became readily available there in the second half of the twentieth century. The name combines caipirinha with an ending that sounds Russian and refers to vodka. In Brazil, they also simply call it caipirinha de vodka. Nobody knows when the first one was served. But it quickly became popular. Vodka was available everywhere, while cachaça was hard to find outside Brazil for a long time.
The right glass
Since you make the caipiroska in the glass itself, you need a low, thick glass that can withstand a muddler. A tumbler of 32 to 37 cl with a heavy base is the right size. It fits a whole lime with crushed ice, and you can muddle it without worry. The wide opening makes it easy to stir from the bottom up, and the green shows through clearly. Don’t use thin-blown glass for this. If you’re 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
To make a Caipiroska, alongside the glass you’ll need 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’ll find them all in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Large chunks melt slowly, so your drink gets diluted less
Glassware set (our pick 01) + 5 bar tools together € 111,70.
What do you need to make a Caipiroska?
You need the right base for a Caipiroska. Each liquor page tells you the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it goes well with and what glass you need.
Variations & twists
Try muddling in strawberry, passion fruit, kiwi or watermelon, too. In Brazil, they call a fruit version like this a caipifruta. Use sake and you have a caipisake, softer and a little sweet from the rice. With brown cane sugar, it tastes richer, almost like caramel. Add a few mint leaves and it’s close to a mojito. Prefer something lighter? After stirring, top up the glass with a splash of sparkling water. The version with cachaça is on our Caipirinha page. Make a Passion Fruit Caipirinha with cachaça and fresh passion fruit.
Serving tip
Roll the lime firmly over the countertop before cutting it. You’ll get more juice out of it. Use crushed ice, not whole cubes. Fine ice chills the drink faster and mixes the sugar in better. Serve it with a short straw, because the sugar sinks to the bottom.
Good to know
Muddle without making it bitter
Cut the lime into eight wedges and remove the white core. That’s where the bitterness is. Put the wedges and two teaspoons of cane sugar in the glass and muddle. Twist and press, don’t pound. The sugar crystals scrape against the peel and release its oils. That oil is exactly what makes a caipiroska different from vodka lemonade. Five or six presses are enough. If you keep going until the peel breaks, the bitter white pith will be released after all. A wooden or plastic muddler works best; see our muddlers.
Caipiroska or caipirinha
Apart from the base spirit, the recipe is the same. A caipirinha is made with cachaça, distilled from freshly pressed sugarcane juice. It adds a grassy, somewhat wild flavor. Vodka adds almost nothing of its own, so in a caipiroska the lime and sugar taste sharper. If you find cachaça too raw, use vodka. If you're after that Brazilian note, stick with the original. There's little difference in strength: both are usually between 38 and 45 percent alcohol. And you muddle the ingredients in both drinks.
Which vodka should you choose?
Vodka adds little flavor here, so what matters most is how clean it tastes. A grain vodka of around 40 percent alcohol that's been distilled a few times works perfectly well and doesn't have to be expensive. Potato vodka is creamier and gives the drink a fuller body. Rye adds a slightly peppery note that goes well with lime. Lemon- or vanilla-flavored vodka also works, but then the bottle, not the fruit, determines the flavor. Put the bottle in the freezer an hour beforehand to reduce how much ice melts.
The caipiroska cocktail alongside the mojito
A caipiroska cocktail and a mojito both have lime and sugar, and that's about where the similarities end. A mojito is made with white rum, mint and sparkling water, making it a long, light drink. The caipiroska is short and strong, with 6 cl of vodka in a glass full of crushed ice and nothing else. There's a big difference in strength: sparkling water keeps a mojito below ten percent, while a caipiroska stays around fifteen percent. You can find the Mojito recipe on its own page.
How much alcohol does it contain?
You use 6 cl of vodka, usually 37.5 to 40 percent alcohol, with lime, sugar and crushed ice. Once some of the ice has melted, the drink in your glass is around fifteen to twenty percent alcohol. That's about twice as strong as a glass of wine. Its fresh taste can mask the alcohol, so people often underestimate it. If you want to take it easier, use 4 cl of vodka and top up the glass with sparkling water. Keep water on the table and pace yourself.
The caipiroska cocktail at a glance
A caipiroska cocktail is a caipirinha made with vodka instead of cachaça. One lime, two teaspoons of cane sugar, 6 cl vodka, and a glass full of crushed ice. Everything happens in the glass. No shaker or strainer needed, and it's ready in two minutes. If you're making several, muddle each glass separately rather than in a large pitcher. The lime oil evaporates, and wedges left in the drink for too long will make it bitter.
Frequently asked questions
What is a caipiroska?
A caipiroska is a caipirinha made with vodka. One whole lime cut into wedges, two teaspoons of cane sugar, 6 cl vodka, and a glass full of crushed ice. Muddle the lime and sugar in the glass you'll drink from. Without cachaça, it tastes cleaner and more direct than the Brazilian original.
What is the difference between a caipiroska and a caipirinha?
Just the base spirit. A caipirinha uses cachaça, distilled from freshly pressed sugarcane juice, which gives it a grassy note. A caipiroska uses vodka, which has almost no flavor of its own. That lets the lime and cane sugar come through more clearly. The proportions, technique, and glass are the same for both.
What vodka do you use for a caipiroska recipe?
A clean grain vodka around 40 percent is a good choice. The vodka should stay in the background here. Potato vodka makes the drink a little creamier, while rye adds a hint of pepper. Bottles flavored with lemon or vanilla work too, but then the bottle determines the flavor instead of fresh lime.
What glass do you use for a caipiroska?
A low tumbler of 32 to 37 cl with thick walls and a heavy base, because you muddle right in the glass. Thin glass won't hold up. The wide opening makes it easy to stir from the bottom up. Find the right style in our tumbler glasses.
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