Caipirosca

The Caipirosca is the classic Caipirinha’s Russian twin, featuring neutral vodka in place of the original’s cachaça. The removal of the sugarcane spirit makes for a simpler, less-complex drink with a greater focus on the sugar and lime.

Since the sweetness is more forward in this version, we like Dale DeGroff’s suggestion from The Craft of the Cocktail – replace white sugar or simple syrup with brown sugar instead for more flavor and intrigue.

Like all the members of this muddled-lime-and-sugar family, the type and amount of sugar are hotly contested. Start with a teaspoon of sugar, or two teaspoons of syrup, or a single cube, and increase to taste. If your limes are small, out-of-season, or just not all that sweet and juicy, feel free to use a whole lime instead of just half.