Strawberry and Basil Caipirinha
Muddle ∙ 3 min ∙ 21.1% ABV ∙
The Strawberry and Basil Caipirinha is a muddled Brazilian sour of cachaça, fresh lime, muddled strawberries, and basil, served over ice in a highball. Crushed berries add a jammy sweetness while torn basil lends a cool herbal snap, all cut by tart citrus and a warming finish.
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 strawberries 3 pcs and Fresh basil leaves 3 pcs, 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
- Fill the glass with ice
- Stir again, then top with more ice
- Garnish with a lime twist
Tips
- Muddle the sugar and lime wedges first until the sugar fully dissolves before adding the strawberries and basil.
- Muddle the strawberries and basil gently — overworking the basil releases bitter, grassy notes.
- Stir once before adding ice and again after topping up, so the sugar and juices distribute evenly rather than settling at the bottom.
- Rinse the muddling glass with the cachaça and pour it into the serving glass so no muddled fruit or sugar is left behind.
History
The Strawberry and Basil Caipirinha has no separately documented creation story; it belongs to a broad family of modern fruit-and-herb riffs on the Caipirinha that bartenders began building once the classic drink spread internationally, muddling strawberries and basil alongside the lime and sugar rather than following a single credited recipe.
Its parent, the Caipirinha, is Brazil's national cocktail, made from cachaça, lime, and sugar, with an origin traced to the countryside of São Paulo state and a history that is disputed among several claimants, including tales of an early-20th-century home remedy and accounts tying it to rural laborers. The strawberry-and-basil version keeps that cachaça-lime-sugar base but adds muddled strawberry and fresh basil, giving the traditional citrus-forward drink a fruitier, herbal edge.
FAQ
What is in a Strawberry and Basil Caipirinha?
Cachaça, fresh lime, powdered sugar, muddled strawberries, and fresh basil leaves, muddled together and served over ice in a highball glass with a lime twist. The classic Caipirinha is just cachaça, lime, and sugar; this version adds muddled strawberries and basil for a fruitier, herbal twist on the original.
What is a Caipirinha made of?
A classic Caipirinha is cachaça, muddled lime, and sugar, muddled and served over crushed or cubed ice. This Strawberry and Basil version keeps that base but muddles in fresh strawberries and basil leaves alongside the lime for added fruit and herbal character.
What kind of alcohol is in a Caipirinha?
Cachaça, a Brazilian spirit distilled from fresh sugarcane juice, is the only spirit in this drink, poured over the muddled fruit and herbs.
Is a Caipirinha stronger than a Mojito?
A Caipirinha is generally stronger, since it is built entirely on a full pour of spirit with no soda water to lengthen it, unlike a Mojito, which is topped with club soda. This Strawberry and Basil Caipirinha comes in at about 21% ABV, similar to a standard Caipirinha despite the added fruit and herbs.
