Caipirinha Coffee Cocktail Recipe

This fun twist on the classic Brazilian Caipirinha cocktail combines coffee and alcohol. It will quickly become your new favorite brunch drink!

I am lucky to have many Brazilian friends in my life. They have taught me about so many things, but I am most thankful for all the alcohol and drinking knowledge they dropped on me.

In college, I fell in love with their national cocktail – the caipirinha. It’s a simple drink made up of lime juice, sugar, and cachaça (a hard liqueur made from sugarcane). To this day I have never found a better cocktail to sip on while hanging out by the pool.

This version of a caipirinha has an espresso float which makes it perfect for brunch. Lime and coffee might seem like a strange combo – but it actually works amazingly well. The acidity in the citrus helps to neutralize and take the “bite” out of the coffee. The result is an ultra smooth taste.

Ingredients

• Espresso – I use two espresso shots per cocktail. You can substitute about 1/4 cup of strong coffee if you’d prefer. 
• Lime Juice – It’s important to use fresh lime juice. Pre-bottled lime juices contain preservatives that can alter the flavor. 
• Cane Sugar – Traditional caipirinhas use turbinado or cane sugar. For this recipe, you can substitute light brown sugar or simple syrup. 
• Cachaça – This is the alcohol that Brazilians use in caipirinhas. It’s kind of like a smokey rum. If you don’t have any Cachaça, substitute dark rum. 

How to make a caipirinha

A classic caipirinha is made by muddling lime wedges and sugar at the bottom of a glass until the sugar has been dissolved. Then ice and Cachaça are added to complete the drink. 

To make this coffee cocktail twist, I simplified it a bit. I use freshly squeezed lime juice in the bottom of the glass, mixed with cane sugar or simple syrup and Cachaça. Add ice, then pour the espresso on top.