Celebrate with a Cocktail – My Passionfruit Caipirinha

There have been lots of celebrations recently with friends & family getting exam results, College & University places. I have been meaning to make some cocktails, having found a bottle of Cachaça at the back of my drinks cupboard. Cachaça is a Brazilian spirit made from fermenting sugar cane juice. Although fairly similar to light rum it is distilled to a lower alcohol strength, so is less refined and retains more of the aroma & flavour of sugar cane. If you don’t have Cachaça you can use a light rum or alternatively vodka, which is called a Caipiroska. I have also created an alcohol free version adding some fresh lychees. These cocktails are in honour of the amazing sporting achievements at #Rio2016Paralympics . The competitors will be on strict dietary regimes so will have to rely on friends & family to celebrate their performance with a cocktail.

Ingredients

Sugar Syrup

60g (2.1oz) sugar, I used golden demerara
30g (1 oz) cold water
Finely grated zest of a fresh lime (optional)
1 stick of fresh lemongrass (optional)

Cocktail

2 fresh lime each cut into eight pieces
2 fresh passion fruit, cut in half using seeds, pulp & juice
2 fresh lychees, peeled, stone removed & chopped (for Mocktail)
20ml (0.7 fl oz) sugar syrup
50 ml (1.7 fl oz) Cachaça ( or white rum or vodka)
freshly made ice cubes
1 stick of lemongrass, ends removed

To make the sugar syrup:

Infusing the sugar syrup

Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan
If using lemongrass remove the outer leaves, the ends and bash gently with the back of the knife to release the flavour, cut into two and add to the pan along with the lime zest
Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved
Cool & put into a glass container & store in the fridge

Passionfruit Caipirinha

To make the Caipirinha Cocktail:

Put the pieces from one lime into a glass & carefully press down with a wooden spoon to release the juice ( known as muddling)
Add the Cachaça, sugar syrup, pulp & seeds from 1 passionfruit & stir
Top up with ice & serve with a lime wedge & a lemongrass stick to stir (optional)