Make A Non-Alcoholic Caipirinha Cocktail   

Usually, when it comes to tropical cocktails with lime, drinks like the mojito or margarita come to mind. However, if you're familiar with Brazilian culture, you may have heard of the caipirinha. This simple, rustic cocktail has become a mainstay of the country, as well as any bar or restaurant that claims Brazilian heritage.

While a cachaça caipirinha is the traditional option, you can use Biscane rum alternative from Seir Hill instead. You can still get all the tropical flavors but without the regret of a hangover the next morning. Let's break down the history of the caipirinha drink and why it's perfect for at-home mocktails.

A Brief History of the Caipirinha Cocktail

At first, you may ask, "What is caipirinha?" The literal translation is "country little girl," but as with all names, the translation has very little to do with its taste combinations. Also, before we get too deep into the history, if you're Googling "how to pronounce caipirinha," it's kay-pur-een-ya.

Like a margarita or an old-fashioned, the caipirinha cocktail exists mostly because of its base ingredient, cachaça spirits. Cacaça is the national liquor of Brazil, and it's an affordable alternative to other options like rum or vodka. It was this heritage that helped give the caipirinha its name and why it became so popular.

The origins of this Brazilian drink started in Sao Paolo at the beginning of the 20th century. According to legend, locals would drink a mixture of cachaça, lime, honey, and garlic to help ward off Spanish Flu, which spread after the First World War. Since cachaça was cheap and widely available, everyone could afford to make this elixir and feel better.

So, by the time the drink reached the port city of Santos, it got its name from the fact that it originated in the countryside, hence "country little girl."

There is, however, a competing theory regarding the origin of the caipirinha, and it also tracks with what we know about the origins of other cocktails during this period.

Back in the 1800s, sailing was a dangerous profession because it was hard to keep food and water rations safe and clean during the voyage. So, many sailors would drink booze, such as rum or whiskey, to help stave off dehydration and scurvy. Since drinking straight liquor isn't very refreshing, these sailors would often mix other ingredients, including fruit juice (e.g., from limes).

Because cachaça was so abundant in Brazil, sailors would use it instead of a more expensive spirit like rum. Since they were already mixing lime juice and sugar to make the liquor easier to drink, the caipirinha was born. However, this story doesn't address the translation, so the reality is likely a mix of the two.

What You'll Need to Make an Alcohol Free Caipirinha

Part of this cocktail's appeal is that it's so simple to make that you likely have the ingredients on hand already. As far as equipment goes, you can just use a regular muddler to mix the limes and the sugar before adding your rum alternative.

This Brazilian drink is also great for sharing, so feel free to increase the size of the recipe to serve more people if you're having a party or just inviting friends over. The only limitation is how many limes you have, as you can potentially use as much Biscane as you like without making it too overwhelming.

The official ingredients are:

• 1-2 limes
• 1-2 tbsp of sugar
• 2 oz of Biscane rum alternative
• Ice
• Lime wedges for garnish

How to Make an Alcohol-Free Caipirinha

First, pull out a regular rocks glass or tumbler. Then, you'll add two lime wedges and the sugar to the bottom of the glass. Use a muddler to crush the limes and extract juice and oils from the peel. Add the ice cubes until the glass is full, then pour the Biscane on top. You can garnish with one lime wedge or add a couple of lime slices to the drink if you like it extra juicy.

As you'll notice, when comparing the difference between a caipirinha vs mojito, the process is very similar, only you don't add mint leaves or soda water to a caipirinha cocktail.

Alternative Non-Alcoholic Caipirinha Recipes

Thanks to the simplicity of this beverage, you can do pretty much anything as far as variations. One of the most common is a strawberry caipirinha, but feel free to let your creativity shine as you mix and match different ingredients. Some of our favorites include:

• Use Strawberries - Instead of limes, you muddle a strawberry (sans stem) with the sugar and pour your Biscane on top.
• Use Passion Fruit - Since the caipirinha is a tropical drink, why not make it even fruitier with some passion fruit? The flavor profile is much smoother and sweeter, so we recommend using less actual sugar.
• Make it Frozen - Instead of just pouring lime juice and spirits into a glass, you can blend the ingredients with ice. You can also use a frozen lime popsicle so it's thicker and slushier, and more refreshing.

If you want to check out more mocktails that use Biscane, we have a ton of recipes available for your convenience. Saúdinha!