The Brazilian merganser – a cocktail recipe by Michelle Hartsell Cocktail Engineer

This is my take on the traditional Brazilian Caipirinha which is made with rum called Cachaca.  My sister-in-law is from Brazil and has a large collection of Cachacas as you can see in the photo below.  My brother-in-law (her husband) gave me some good guidance in Caipirinha making that he picked up from family and friends and which I'll share with you today.

To prepare the fresh limes wash and cut of the tip and branch ends.  Quarter length-wise then slice off the thin white bitter strip along the center of the lime quarters.  Then slice each quarter in half in the other direction.

For this cocktail I decided to make a simple syrup from dark brown sugar rather than use the traditional super-fine white sugar.  This gives the cocktail a dark color and a slight molasses flavor.  To make the simple syrup bring 1 cup of dark brown sugar mixed with 1 cup of water to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for another 15 minutes.  Once cooled pour into a jar.  Any left-over simple syrup should keep for a week or two in your refrigerator.

I used a Cachaca from Patos de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil called Leblon.

Prepare the glass:

To an old-fashioned glass add 4 to 8 quarters (depending on the size of your limes) of prepared lime pieces and muddle just to release the juice from each lime piece (crushing once or twice, depending on size, being careful not to press so hard that you release the bitters from the lime pith). Top with crushed ice.

In a shaker partially filled with cracked ice add:
3 ounces of Cachaca (you can use a white rum if Cachaca is not available)
1 ounce of the dark brown sugar simple syrup

Shake and strain into the prepared glass.  Stir.  Garnish with a lime wheel.  Makes one cocktail.

Cheers!

Note:  The Brazilian merganser is a very endangered duck.