Strawberry Passion Fruit Caipirinha

Simple steps 

1. Put sugar and fruit in the glasses you want to serve the drink.
2. With a muddler (a bartender tool used to mash or muddle fruit, similar to the pestle) mash the fruit and sugar. It will start to release juices and become soupy (image below).
3. Add cachaca and ice.
4. Drink before it waters down too much.

Truth is I first became enthralled with this fruit mixture due to a caipiroska a bartender friend made for me once.

Some years ago, while looking into the possibility of opening a bar with some friends, we had a few drink-making demonstrations, preparing of the mise en place and all that accompanies cocktail-making.

Have you ever set up an informal bar at a party? It's so much fun.

Preparing the fruit

• Strawberries: there's not much to prepare, but it's always better if they are in season because they are sweeter. Wash, stem, and cut into small pieces so it's easier to mash with the sugar.
• Passion fruit: I use fresh juice whenever I can. And it's a good idea to strain it (image below). It will leave out some of the pulp, but also the seeds, which will not work completely, as they will block a straw or be uncomfortable to bite into with each sip. But it's your call. You can leave them.

I consider passion fruit citrus. And an intoxicating one.

The smell when I cut it in half is so unique, and when I run a finger through some of the juice that remains on the counter the words that pop into my mind are fresh acid.

There's a freshness about passion fruit that I can't find in any other fruit. It has nothing to do with the juice itself, it's the smell of it.

Kitchen notes

• Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, equipment, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
• Ice: I use regular ice from my home freezer. But if you have access to more professional larger ice cubes so much the better. They last more so the drink takes longer to water down.
• Glasses: use glasses that can hold everything and have a flat base. You need it to muddle without breaking it (seriously, it almost happened to me once). Don't use martini glasses for example.
• Fruit: you can use other fruits, but this combination is the bomb! Be careful not to add too much. Test it with one drink. You should taste both the fruits and the liquor. If you use too much fruit you won't have enough space for the ice and the balance will not be right.
• Personal taste: adjust sugar, ice, and cachaca to your taste (image below, before adding the liquor). And use that ratio as a guide no matter what fruit you use.
• Sweetener: you can use simple syrup instead of sugar. To make it, simply heat the same amount of sugar and water (½ cup of each for example), and when it comes to a boil remove it from the heat. Let cool completely and keep refrigerated.
• This is the homemade way of making this drink. If you have a cocktail shaker, use it to mix the muddled fruit with the vodka and the ice.