Passion Fruit Caipirinha Cocktail – Refreshing and Delicious

This refreshing passion fruit caipirinha is sweet and has a slightly grassy and tart aftertaste. The seeds not only give this passion fruit cocktail a bold look but also add a delicious bite to it.

Passion fruit caipirinha cocktail

After the traditional caipirinha and its sweet variation with strawberries, this passion fruit drink is the most popular cocktail in Brazil of the “caipirinha” family.

Its tropical, fruity, and refreshing flavors make it one of Brazilians’ favorite drinks, especially on warm summer days!

As a Brazilian myself, I can safely say that this fruit is widely consumed in the country, not only in cocktails but also in smoothies, teas, desserts, and more!

That’s because the passion fruit is a Brazilian fruit, and we can find it in abundance in street markets or supermarkets.

Besides, the fruit is massive in the country—at least when compared to the fruit sold in most parts of Europe, which is tiny.

Anyway, this passion fruit cocktail is a tropical variation of our national drink, however, this recipe might vary per region. Some people in the country don’t add the lime, but I have always had it like this.

The recipe I know calls for passion fruit, lime, sugar, and cachaça.

What is cachaça?

Cachaça is a Brazilian liquor made of sugarcane juice. It is quite strong (~38-48% ABV) and is widely consumed in Brazil.

It has a vegetal, slightly grassy taste and, in my opinion, it makes far more delicious cocktails than vodka. I’m biased, I know.

There is a wide variety of drinks with cachaça that you might want to try at home.

How strong is caipirinha?

Since cachaça is quite strong, averaging between 38-48% ABV, this caipirinha turns into a strong cocktail with passion fruit.

The sugar adds a welcome sweetness that tricks you into believing it is a lighter drink, almost like passion fruit juice. But don’t let that fool you.

Drink it slowly and add more ice if too strong.

Where to buy cachaça?

It is easy to find cachaça outside of Brazil, and it is becoming much easier these days.

Many liquor stores have this Brazilian spirit, but you can also buy your bottle online.

What is a good substitute for cachaça?

Okay, let’s say you can’t find cachaça, but you have a bottle of white rum at home. You can make this drink using it instead. However, it won’t be a caipirinha anymore; it will be a caipiríssima.

If you have vodka at home, you can also try this passion fruit caipiroska, which is a variation of caipirinha–also popular in Brazil.

What does this caipirinha passion fruit taste like?

It is fruity and refreshing with a slightly grassy and tart aftertaste. The passion fruit seeds add a delicious bite to this cocktail, but if you don’t like it, you can use passion fruit puree instead.

It is a sweet-scented cocktail as the fruit has a characteristic tropical perfume.

Pssst: Brazilian lemonade is a delicious and refreshing drink (no alcohol) with…lime. A bit crazy, I know. But it’s very, very tasty and perfect for hot days!

Other caipirinha variations you might like

• Caipiroska – Caipirinha made with vodka. I’ve served other recipes here on the blog, such as this cucumber and watermelon caipiroskas.
• Caipisake – Caipirinha made with sake.
• Caipirinha coffee – Delicious summer cocktail for coffee lovers.

Here are all the passion fruit recipes I’ve served here on the site.

What you will need to prepare your passion fruit caipirinha cocktail

• Bottle of cachaça: only cachaças produced in Brazil can carry this name on their bottle.
• Old fashioned glass: it gives the perfect vibe to this authentic Brazilian drink.
• Cocktail set: it’s much easier to prepare your cocktail with a proper set instead of muddling the lime in the glass. But if you prefer doing that way, you can instead buy a muddler for that.

Tips for making a delicious passion fruit caipirinha

• Fresh limes with a shine and thin skin are juicier. Before using it, roll it on a surface, slightly pressing it with your hand. It helps release the juice.
• To avoid bitterness, remove the pith of the lime wedges.
• Muddle the lime wedges with the flesh up to avoid beating up the skin too much. It avoids bitterness.
• Pick a passion fruit that is slightly wrinkled and has a deep yellow or purple color—it depends on the variation available in your region, but you won’t notice much difference in the taste.

How to make a passion fruit caipirinha

Here’s the instruction on how to make this passion fruit cocktail. As always, the printable recipe follows at the bottom.

In a cocktail shaker, place the superfine sugar and lime wedges with the pulp up. Muddle it just enough to release the juice.

Add the passion fruit pulp, cachaça, and a couple of ice cubes to the shaker. Shake it vigorously for about 10 seconds.

Pour your passion fruit caipirinha in a glass with ice and sip it! Enjoy your drink!

Pin it!

Did you like this passionfruit caipirinha? Then share it with someone who might like it too!