(Photo by Cuba Libre)
Drink of the week: Caipirinha
Where to get it: Cuba Libre, Del Campo, Fogo de Chao, Black Jack, The Royal
The caipirinha (pronounced “kai-pi-rin-ya”) is a classic, three ingredient cocktail that’s been seeing more love on bar menus in the District this spring. Its origin story is unclear, though a popular theory holds that it was likely invented in Brazil around 1918 as a way to cure patients with the Spanish Flu. As Brazil’s national drink, it got a boost in notoriety in the U.S. last summer thanks to the Rio Olympic games and has only continued to flourish.
A typical caipirinha is simple to mix. It’s made with cachaça (“ka-sha-sa”), lime juice, and sugar. It gets a few shakes and is served on the rocks. Additional fruits, herbs, and syrups are all common embellishments. Still, such few ingredients means the drink is quite a showcase for cachaça, a Brazilian cane sugar liquor similar to rum. Speaking of rum (which itself is trending on D.C. bar menus), the caipirinha is a relative of the rum daiquiri, which uses rum, lime juice, and simple syrup. And just as rum will make or break a daiquiri, low-quality caçacha can’t be easily masked in a caipirinha.
Brazilian meat temple Fogo de Chao (1101 Pennsylvania Ave. NW) knows a thing or two about South American food. It has several well-made caipirinhas on the menu, including a passionfruit variation and a new seasonal twist with tart and sweet strawberries and hibiscus syrup. They’re available at the bar as well as the main dining room and are a relatively value at $8 each during the bar’s happy hour (weekdays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.). Drinks here are normally pretty pricey, at around $15 each. They come standard with the restaurant’s own silver cachaça, and an aged version is available for a $1 upgrade.
The caipirinha selection ($10-$11) at Cuba Libre (801 9th St. NW) fits right in with the restaurant’s cocktail menu of mojitos and rum drinks. The bar gets creative, muddling Velho Barreiro cachaça with pineapple basil, guava, and seasonal flavors. Prices run $5-$6 during happy hour, which goes from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday.
Del Campo (777 I St. NW), recently celebrated its four-year anniversary with a revamped look and menu. The cocktail menu at the Argentinean-inspired restaurant attributes the caipirinha to Portugal’s Queen Carlota Joaquina in the year 1920 and keeps it simple with Avua cachaça, lime juice and cane syrup.
Classic caipirinhas can also be found away from the city’s rum bars and South American steakhouses. It appears along other $12 standard cocktails at Black Jack (1612 14th St. NW), and they go for just $10 each at The Royal (501 Florida Ave. NW), where you can pair it with Latin American dishes like a beef arepa or grilled avocado.
