There’s no shortage of eleven-ingredient, murky-brown, fruity-sweet tropical drinks to choose from nowadays, but it can be difficult to sift through them to find a drink that’s crisp and refreshing, light and drinkable, but still tasting of beaches and sunshine.
Enter Jesse Vida’s Caldo de Caña, a cachaça cocktail with the usual suspects (lime and pineapple juices), plus the intriguing flavors of blanc vermouth and a touch of absinthe. The blanc vermouth adds a floral herbaceousness, while the absinthe (just a touch!) sharpens the edges of the other flavors. A topper of sparkling water keeps the whole drink eminently day-drink-able.
A flavored sparkling water wouldn’t be a crime here, provided the flavor isn’t overpowering. The drink doesn’t call for much, so a bit of lime or coconut sparkling water won’t knock the drink off balance.
