Virgin Caipirinha

Before you start

A caipirinha is all about lime: whole wedges crushed with sugar right in the glass, so the juice and the aromatic oils from the peel end up together. In the original, Brazilian cachaça carries that flavor. In this zero-proof version, a little white grape juice brings back some of the fruity, grassy roundness of sugarcane spirit, and sparkling water adds length and a light fizz.

The muddling is the skill. Press firmly enough to release juice and peel oil, but not so hard that you grind the white pith, which turns the drink bitter. Coarse sugar crystals help scrape oil from the skin, and they dissolve as the lime juice flows. Serve it in a short, sturdy glass with crushed ice, and leave the lime pieces in.

Ingredients

• 1 lime — about 70 g, room temperature
• 2 tsp (about 8 g) superfine or granulated sugar — or demerara for a richer taste
• 45 ml (1½ oz) white grape juice — chilled
• 75 ml (2½ oz) chilled sparkling water
• 1½ cups crushed ice

Method

1. Roll the lime on the board under your palm to loosen the juice. Cut off both ends, halve it lengthwise, and slice out the white core from each half.
2. Cut each half into 4 wedges and put them in the glass, flesh side up. Sprinkle the sugar over them.
3. Muddle with firm downward presses and a slight twist, about 8 to 10 times, until the wedges have released their juice and the sugar is mostly dissolved. Stop before you hear the peel tearing.
4. Add the white grape juice and stir to dissolve any remaining sugar.
5. Fill the glass with crushed ice, packing it down slightly.
6. Top with the sparkling water and stir from the bottom to bring the lime pieces up through the ice. Add more crushed ice to fill and serve with a short straw.

Tips for success

• Removing the white core from the center of the lime is the easiest way to avoid bitterness; it holds most of the pithy flavor.
• Use a flat-bottomed wooden or plastic muddler without teeth. Toothed muddlers shred the peel.
• Thin-skinned, heavy limes give more juice. If your limes are small, use one and a half.

Substitutions

White grape juice

Coconut water gives a lighter, less sweet drink. A non-alcoholic cane spirit alternative brings the flavor closest to the original.

Sugar

Simple syrup at 15 ml dissolves instantly but scrapes less oil from the peel, so the drink tastes a little less aromatic. Rapadura or panela gives a deeper, molasses note.

Sparkling water

Lemon-lime soda makes a sweeter drink; cut the sugar to 1 tsp. Still water gives a flatter, more traditional texture.

Variations

Passion fruit caipirinha

Add the pulp of 1 passion fruit to the glass after muddling the lime, and an extra teaspoon of sugar.

Strawberry caipirinha

Muddle 3 hulled strawberries with the lime and sugar.

Troubleshooting

The drink tastes bitter

The pith or core was crushed too much. Remove the core, muddle with presses rather than grinding, and avoid toothed muddlers.

There are gritty sugar crystals at the bottom

Muddle a little longer so the lime juice dissolves the sugar, or switch to superfine sugar.

It is too sour

Limes vary. Add another half teaspoon of sugar to the glass and stir until dissolved, or add 15 ml more grape juice.

Storage

Make each drink to order and serve immediately; muddled lime turns bitter and the ice melts quickly. Store whole limes at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator for up to a month.