While we were in Portugal, the Caprioska quickly became our favorite cocktail! Made simply with vodka, lime, white sugar and crushed ice, this Brazilian cocktail is incredibly refreshing and tasty!
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Caprioska
While we were in Portugal, I had my first Caprioska. After just one sip, I was hooked. I instantly knew I was going to have a lot more of these refreshing and tart cocktails!
Similar to a Brazilian Caipirinha, this variation uses vodka instead of Cachaça, a fermented sugarcane distilled liquor.
The recipe is quite simple, only calling for 3 real ingredients and crushed ice. It's kind of like an upgraded version of a vodka soda and lime and for that, I freakin' love it!
But honestly, what I liked most about it was how much it reminded me of a county fairy lemonade! Or limeade, I should say!
You know the ones you get that still have all the sugar crystals at the bottom of the cup? And with each slurp, your mouth is filled with tart lemonade that contrasts against the sweet sugar crystals that melt in your mouth.
It's basically like that... except with an adult spin!
If you have any interest in traveling to Portugal, I highly recommend that you check out our Lisbon travel guide! Part 1 covers our first 24 hours in Portugal and we even have a vlog on our youtube page that goes with it!
And if you want to pair this tasty cocktail with one of my dishes, I don't have any Portuguese recipes on the blog yet.... So I recommend serving this healthy curry chicken salad over my cold Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce!
How to make a Caprioska
So let's talk about how easy it is to make a Caprioska!
Prepare Crushed Ice
First, you'll want to prepare some crushed ice. Some ice makers have this feature but if yours doesn't, simply fill a clean kitchen towel with about 4 cups of ice and then wad it up into a little ball - making sure there are no openings for the ice to escape.
Smack the ice on a countertop and then use a mallet (or the end of your muddler) to smash the ice into finer snow-like pieces. Do this for a few minutes, then open the towel and you'll see how nice and crushed the ice is!
Make Cocktail
Now that the ice is crushed, fill a small cup with half of a lime that's cut into fourths.
Use a muddler and jab the pieces until you notice that the juice is covering the bottom of the cup and the aroma and oils from the peel are released. You don't want to muddle too hard because that sometimes makes for a bitter, rather than tart taste.
After that, simply stir in a tablespoon of white sugar. You can also use cane sugar if you have this on hand although I prefer the texture of the white table sugar.
Do not worry about dissolving the sugar all the way! The leftover crystals are the best part of this cocktail!
Next, add the vodka and fill the glass ¾ of the way up with ice. Use a spoon to stir the cocktail for 20-30 seconds or until. the ice starts to melt into the drink.
Lastly, fill the cup up with even more ice. So much so, that you kind of create a crushed ice dome at the top like in my pictures.
To garnish, add a wedge of lime and a fun straw!
Oh and I know we all hate straws but the straw is a must in this recipe! It's how you'll get the little sugary crystals in each sip!
P.S. And if you're like me and prefer to use metal straws but don't like the feeling against your teeth, I feel you! I couldn't live without these reusable rainbow steel straws that are wrapped in silicone at the end! They're like $9 and you get a bunch of them! And they're rainbow so that's pretty great, too!
Recipe
Recipe
Caprioska
Ingredients
- ½ large lime cut into fourths
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1.5 oz vodka
- crushed ice
Instructions
- Place lime in a cup and muddle enough so the lime juice fills the bottom of the cup and the oils and aroma from the peel are released.
- Add sugar and stir.
- Add vodka and fill the glass ¾ of the way with crushed ice. Stir for 20 seconds or until the ice starts to melt into the mixture.
- Top with more crushed ice, essentially creating an ice dome on top of the glass .
- Garnish with a wedge of lime and a straw and serve immediately.
Notes
If you'd like to save this Caprioska cocktail for later, feel free to pin it below!
Gail
Is there a vodka made in Portugal?