This Refreshing Vodka Cocktail Puts A Spin On A Brazilian Staple

Peru has the sweet, tart, and foamy Pisco Sour as its national drink, and Cuba has the super-refreshing and minty mojito. As for Brazil's crown jewel? It's the Caipirinha, hands-down. Made from the citrusy marriage of cachaça and lime and officiated by a touch of sweetness from simple syrup, this drink is not only a joy to sip, but also a wonderful part of Brazilian culture and history. For us folks in the U.S. who want to make it at home, however, sometimes we just can't find a nice bottle of cachaça to work with. No need to worry, there's a variation of the Caipirinha that's just as popular (and every bit as tasty) that you can mix with vodka: a Caipiroska.

Don't underestimate it for being a riff, Caipiroska is becoming more and more popular with bartenders and imbibers everywhere, including its home country, Brazil. Vodka works as a one-to-one swap with cachaça, so you can take a classic Caipirinha recipe, plug in the vodka, and voila — you've got a refreshing Caipiroska to kick back with! It's going to be a bit lighter than the original version due to vodka's neutral flavor, but if you like your tipple on the gentler side, we're certain it'll very quickly become a favorite. 

While you can absolutely make a Caipiroska with any vodka sitting in your liquor cabinet, if you want to make a Caipiroska that'll blow your guests out of their beach-going sandals, it's worth being a little picky about your spirit selection. While, granted, vodka has a reputation for being a neutral spirit, different vodka brands actually bring subtle but distinct characteristics that you can use to your advantage in your mixing work.

Corn-based vodkas like Tito's Handmade or Nikka Coffey Vodka offer a naturally sweeter profile with a silky, creamy texture. Such bottlings will complement the tartness of the lime in the recipe. On the other hand, if you prefer something that can give the lime a clean stage to work its magic on the palate, mixed-grain vodkas like Stolichnaya or Smirnoff will be perfect for the job thanks to their clean profile. And last but not least, if you want something clean but complex, a wheat-based vodka with its crisp flavor and hint of sweetness can deliver exactly that. Absolut and Grey Goose are some of the more familiar names in this niche.

You're free to choose whatever vodka you have in the end, but the key is avoiding anything too aggressive or heavily flavored. Rather than something that would bulldoze the citrusy spirit of the Caipiroska, pick a vodka that would (gently) amplify it!