Kiwi Caipirinha
Muddle ∙ 3 min ∙ 22.3% ABV ∙
The Kiwi Caipirinha is a Brazilian-style muddled drink made with cachaça, fresh kiwi, lime, and sugar, a fruit variation on the classic lime Caipirinha. Cracked ice keeps it cold and diluted just enough, with a pulpy, seed-flecked texture and a tart-sweet finish that lingers pleasantly on the tongue.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Cut half a Fresh lime into wedges and drop into a sturdy rocks glass
- Add Powdered sugar 3 bsp (or 15 ml sugar syrup) and muddle
- Add Fresh kiwi fruit 1/2 pc and muddle again
- Once the sugar is dissolved, transfer the mixture to the serving glass
- Pour Cachaça 60 ml into the muddling glass, swirl to rinse, and pour into the serving glass
- Stir to combine
- Crack 4-5 large ice cubes and drop into the serving glass
- Stir, top with more ice, and serve with a stirrer
Tips
- Muddle the lime and sugar first until the sugar dissolves before adding the kiwi, so the citrus oils and sugar blend properly.
- Swirl the cachaça in the muddling glass to rinse any remaining fruit and sugar before pouring it into the serving glass, so nothing is wasted.
- Crack the ice rather than using small cubes; large cracked pieces chill the drink without diluting it too fast.
History
Kiwi Caipirinha has no separate creation story of its own: it is one of the many named fruit variants of the Caipirinha, in which kiwifruit is muddled in place of lime. Brazilian usage and international bartending guides alike extend the Caipirinha name to these fruit-swapped versions, grouping the kiwifruit take alongside passionfruit, strawberry, and other caipifruta variations built the same way.
The Caipirinha itself is Brazil's national cocktail, most accounts tracing it to the interior of São Paulo state, with the academic consensus dating its invention to 1918 as a drink tied to the region's sugarcane and cachaça culture. A competing account instead places its roots in the Alentejo region of Portugal around the same period, as a home remedy of lime, garlic, and honey used against the Spanish flu, a version many historians dispute in favor of the Brazilian claim. The Caipirinha was declared Brazilian Cultural Heritage in 2003 and sits on the International Bartenders Association's list of official cocktails as a Contemporary Classic.
FAQ
What alcohol is in a Kiwi Caipirinha?
Cachaça, a Brazilian spirit distilled from fresh sugarcane juice, is the alcohol in a Kiwi Caipirinha.
How do you make a Kiwi Caipirinha?
Muddle lime wedges with powdered sugar until the sugar dissolves, then muddle in chopped kiwi. Transfer the mixture to a highball glass, rinse the muddling glass with cachaça and pour that in too, stir to combine, then fill with cracked ice and stir again before serving with a stirrer.
Is a Caipirinha stronger than a Mojito?
A Caipirinha is generally stronger than a Mojito because it is built almost entirely from spirit, sugar, and citrus with no soda water to dilute it, while a Mojito is lengthened with club soda. This Kiwi Caipirinha comes in at about 22.3% ABV.
What fruits work well in a Caipirinha?
Beyond the classic lime, fruits like kiwi, passion fruit, strawberry, and mango are popular Caipirinha variations. This version uses fresh chopped kiwi alongside lime: the lime and sugar are muddled first, then the kiwi is added and muddled again before the cachaça goes in.
