Kiwi Caipisake: A Fruity Brazilian Sake Cocktail

Are you a cocktail fan? This mellow and nectarous caipisake is just what you need then!

The most famous cocktail of Brazil is the caipirinha. While the traditional caipirinha is made with cachaça, the caipisake is made with, take a guess, sake.

In Brazil, this sake drink has different names in different regions. Some call it sakerinha, others saqueirinha, or even sake caipirinha.

The most common fruit in a Brazilian caipisake recipe is either kiwi, strawberry, or lime. All of these fruits taste great, but for this article, I chose the kiwi.

I recently made a strawberry caipirinha that was just divine! Highly recommend it!

Anyway, there are quite some excellent sake mixed drinks out there, and while many of them are delicious, this sake cocktail recipe is my favorite one!

I hope you like it too!

FAQ about caipisake

What is sake?

Sake is the national drink of Japan. It is a Japanese rice wine, made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. 

Is caipisake a strong drink?

Compared to caipirinha or caipiroska, this sake cocktail is not very strong.

Sake usually contains between 9% and 16% ABV, while cachaça (a Brazilian liquor) contains between 38% and 48% ABV, and vodka starts at 40%.

Tips for making the perfect sakerinha

• It is best to use superfine sugar, like caster sugar. Its crystals are tiny, which makes them dissolve faster
• Save one slice of kiwi to decorate your glass
• After you’ve finished your drink, eat the pieces of kiwi! They taste delicious as they absorbed the spirit!
• If you keep your glasses in the fridge before making this Brazilian cocktail, your drink will remain cold for a longer period. 

Caipisake ingredients

Like many cocktails, the sake caipirinha consists of only a few ingredients. Let’s see what we need.

• Sake. This Japanese rice wine is the main ingredient of our cocktail. It can be found at nearly every bigger liquor store.
• Kiwi. The sweet and refreshing taste of kiwi gives a lovely touch to this cocktail. 
• Sugar. It is best to use superfine sugar for cocktails, but if you don’t have that, regular sugar is just fine.
• Ice cubes or crushed ice. I prefer crushed ice because it looks beautiful, but ice cubes are usually easier to get.

How to make caipisake

Enough talking, it’s time for action.

Start off by peeling the kiwi and cutting it into quarters. Optional: cut off one small slice of the kiwi to decorate your cocktail once it’s done. 

Muddling the kiwi with the sugar might be a bit more difficult if you add all quarters at once. Therefore, add the sugar and two-quarters of the kiwi to the cocktail shaker and start muddling.

Next, add the remaining quarters of the kiwi and muddle until it has a paste-like texture. 

Don’t worry if there are still some bigger pieces of kiwi left. This looks nice, and you can eat them after you have finished your drink.

Now add the crushed ice or ice cubes and sake to the cocktail shaker and put the lid on. Shake it until the ingredients have mixed well. 

Pour your sake caipirinha into a highball glass or tumbler glass and use the slice of kiwi you kept aside to decorate it. 

Don’t worry if you do not own a cocktail shaker. You can also use a glass to muddle the kiwi and sugar. After muddling, add the sake and ice, stir well, and there you go!

Enjoy your drink. Or as we say in Brazil: saúde!

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