Meyer Lemon and Strawberry Caipirinha Cocktail Recipe

Meyer Lemon and Strawberry Caipirinha

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This fruity twist on Brazil’s national cocktail features ruby-red strawberries and fragrant Meyer lemons.

Junior Borges

Published on May 9, 2024

Tested by

Nicole Hopper

MEYER LEMON AND STRAWBERRY CAIPIRINHA — Photo:
Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Total Time:

3 mins

Servings:

1 drink

The caipirinha wouldn’t exist without the millions of Africans who toiled under brutal conditions on the nation’s sugarcane farms to produce the foundation of cachaça, Brazil’s prized distilled spirit. Acclaimed New York chef and Rio de Janeiro native Junior Borges adds Meyer lemon juice and muddled strawberries to this classic drink for a beautiful and refreshing cocktail.

While the recipe below is for a single serving drink, the ingredients could easily be scaled up for a crowd if you switch from shaking to stirring and build the drink in a pitcher instead. Fresh and fruity with nice pieces of muddled berries, this is the perfect cocktail to ring in the start of summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cachaça same as rum?

Cachaça is not just a distilled spirit made from fresh sugarcane juice, but an important part of Brazilian culture. Rum, on the other hand, is made from molasses, a byproduct of crystallized sugar from sugarcane juice. Despite the fact that it has only recently started gaining popularity stateside, cachaça is the world's third-most-produced spirit (preceded only by vodka and rum).
What is special about Meyer lemons?

On first glance, you’ll notice that Meyer lemons don’t look exactly like regular Eureka lemons. By comparison, Meyer lemons are much smaller and have a golden yellow rind. Cut into one, and you’ll smell their perfumelike aroma. Their gentle, floral scent is just a preview of what they’ll taste like. Meyer lemons are sweeter and less tart than the lemons you’ll find year-round at the grocery store, which is why we love them for baking and cocktail-making.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Cachaça can be found at most liquor stores or online at chipsliquor.com.

Make ahead

Strawberries can be cleaned and hulled and lemons can be juiced up to one day in advance.

Ingredients

5 small strawberries, hulled (about 3/4 cup)
1 ounce fresh Meyer lemon juice (juice from 1 whole Meyer lemon)
5 teaspoons granulated sugar
5 ounces cachaça (such as Germana Soul)
1 Meyer lemon wheel, for garnish

Directions

Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar in a cocktail shaker. Muddle together just enough to break down strawberries and macerate with sugar.
Add cachaça and ice, and the shaker. Shake vigorously until well chilled and sugar has time to incorporate, about 15–20 seconds.
Strain drink into a rocks glasses filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon slice.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, May 2024