Until he died at the age of 89, on 15th June 2005, José Carranca Redondo could be found in Quinta do Meiral on a daily basis and actively participated in the wide range of activities of the company. José reached into a wooden box and pulled out a handful of coriander seeds to show us, then a handful of mint leaves, some oregano and aniseed. Whilst he was happy to tell us which spices are used, the exact recipe remains a family secret and is known only to José and Daniel. Every week, he personally weighs out the required quantities that are used to produce around 4 million bottles of this lovely liquid every year. LIMES –Choose Persian limes over Key limes. They are larger and juicier, and therefore will yield more juice per fruit. Calculate 1 1/2 to 2 limes per drink.

Aroma – Smell the limes. A ripe lime will smell, well, lime-y! The ones that are not ripe will not have a strong smell. Sweet, alcoholic and herbal aromas with a hint of anise and thyme, on the nose. On the palate, it is a very smooth, soft and sweet liquor, having 22% alcohol content. It is like syrup, with notes of anise, orange and caramel. Touch – Give them a little squeeze. They should be firm but feel plump when gently squeezed. If they don’t give in to your touch, they are under-ripe. If they are too soft, they are too ripe.Caipirinhas are made all over Brazil, with several different fruits. Among some of the most popular ones are pineapple, cashew fruit, watermelon, passion fruit and clementine. The liqueur is still produced by double distillation of 13 different carefully selected aromatic seeds, herbs and spices. During the maceration, the secret recipe of 13 spices, plants and aromatic seeds is blended with alcohol of agricultural origin. Although the origin of the caipirinha is officially unknown, there are several unproven stories on how this drink came to be!

It is made from a double distillation of seeds and herbs, including mint, cinnamon, cardamom and lavender, from all over the world, including former Portuguese colonies of Brazil, Sri Lanka, and India. If you loved it or not, depends on how it was prepared. Hopefully, you loved it and are looking to replicate it at home. In that case, I’ve got you covered with a traditional caipirinha recipe that would please even the snobbiest caipirinha purist! If you don’t have an ice machine that produces crushed ice, place your ice cubes in a resealable bag, and smash with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until the ice is crushed. (Photo 7) You could also crush the ice using a blender or food processor.

What is Caipirinha?

After being bottled, the liqueur is distributed to Portugal, and to all foreign markets which make up about 25% of the sales. After being weighed out and being mixed in correct proportion, the plants and herbs are mixed with alcohol and remain in maceration for a minimum of about twenty to twenty-five days. The resulting contents are then twice distilled in copper stills. That goes for your limes! They have to be very juicy, or they won’t produce much liquid when muddled and your caipirinha will be just a sweet shot of cachaça! After being weighed out and mixed, the plants and herbs are mixed with alcohol, and remain in maceration for a minimum of about twenty to twenty five days. The resulting contents are then twice distilled in copper alembics. [1]

Cut the limes in half, lengthwise. (Photo 2) Stand the halved limes up and slice lengthwise in quarters. (Photo 3) Since caipirinhas are made with such few ingredients, it is important that you choose the best ones available. However, if your experience was not the best, please don’t run for the hills! Give my recipe a try. I would love the chance to change your mind! 😉 What is Caipirinha?

Once the alcoholate is ready, it is then added into a mixture of alcohol, sugar and water. This mixture is then tested to ensure it fits the secret recipe’s parameters. Today, the average production capacity of the factory is 30,000 bottles a day. A decade ago the capacity was 10 times less! His work has been featured in several magazines, and he recently wrote the cover story for Bar Business. With his active participation in the United States Bartenders Guild, New York Chapter (USBGNY) he has spent the past four years developing and solidifying relationships in the industry, affording him the opportunity to work with many of the most respected names in the business.