This Kiwi Caipirinha Cocktail is made with ripe, juicy California kiwifruit and limes, honey and cachaça—Brazil’s most popular sugar cane liquor. Delicious and refreshing- perfect for summer!

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Hello Friends! This is the summer of 2021 and boy, do we deserve a cocktail!

I mean, we’ve been through a whole hell of a lot and are still here to raise a glass, so why not one filled with gorgeous, juicy kiwifruit and cachaça?!

Today I bring you another fun and delicious recipe in partnership with my dear friends at California Grown. If you really love kiwifruit, don’t miss my Kiwi Bread with Lime Glaze and Almonds.

I love collaborating with this brilliant group that represents California farmers and their crops because, first of all, they keep us knee-deep in gorgeous produce, nuts, wine… the list goes on and on.

And second, there is always have something new for me to play around with in the kitchen!

Today, we are talking kiwifruit! And cocktails! Let’s go!

california kiwifruit: betcha didn’t know

Have you ever stopped to think about the fuzzy brown kiwifruit? How are they grown? What’s with the name? Ready for a pop quiz?

1. True or False: California is the sole producer of kiwifruit grown in the U.S.
   • TRUE! Since the late 1960’s California has been growing all of the kiwifruit commercially produced in the United States in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys.
2. True or False: Kiwi is the proper name?
   • False. The proper name is kiwifruit. “The Kiwi” is the native bird of New Zealand and “A Kiwi” refers to a New Zealander. A kiwifruit is the proper name for the fruit.
3. True or False: Kiwifruit grow on trees?
   • False. Botanically they are in the berry family and grow on vines like other berries and grapes.
4. True or False: California has nearly 300 kiwifruit farmers?
   • TRUE! There are close to 300 kiwifruit farmers in California who farm around 13 acres each.

let’s talk caipirinha!

A Caipirinha is a simple cocktail that typically only has three ingredients—lime, sugar and cachaça.

It is the national drink of Brazil and has its roots as a medicinal drink from the 19th century developed to ward off the Spanish flu. The original recipe contained cachaça, lime juice, honey, and garlic!

Today, we’re omitting the garlic and adding fresh, juicy kiwifruit instead! Here’s what you’ll need to make these caipirinha cocktails just right:

Fresh, ripe California grown kiwifruit. Look for the California Grown label!

Lime wedges. Look for California grown limes too!

Cachaça. It’s not a Brazilian cocktail without this liquor made from sugarcane juice.

Cachaça can be found at any well-stocked liquor store. It is a variety of rum made from fermented sugarcane juice rather than molasses which results in a clear, fruitier liquor.

Honey. Again, keep you eye out for California honey!

how to make a caipirinha

A muddle and a good, hard shake gets you a caipirinha in no time. Here’s how:

For one drink cut a lime in half, then cut that half into quarters.

Peel and quarter 1 ripe, juicy kiwifruit.

Add the lime quarters and the kiwifruit pieces to a cocktail shaker along with 1 to 2 teaspoons honey. Add more or less honey depending on how sweet you like your cocktails.

With a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon, press down on the fruit, muddling the limes and kiwifruit until most of the juice is released.

Fill the cocktail shaker 2/3 of the way with ice cubes and then add the cachaça. Give it a good hard shake.

Pour into a rocks glass, garnish with a slice of kiwi or two and serve.

variations

There are many different ways you could make this drink.

Most people use granulated sugar instead of honey so try muddling limes, sugar or even simple syrup and kiwi instead of the honey.

Use California grown passion fruit in place of the kiwifruit.

Don’t like the chunks of fruit or seeds? Fill the glass with crushed ice and strain the cocktail over the crushed ice with a small sieve instead.

Have any other fun twist? Share them with me in the comments below!

more recipes featuring california produce!

• Jugo Verde {Mexican Green Juice}
• Vegan Ceviche with Avocado and Lime
• Grilled Asparagus Salad with Olive-Chile Dressing
• Spicy Marinated Olives with Roasted Garlic and Herbs
• Strawberry Tamales with Horchata Sauce
• Rainbow Veggie Quesadilla Recipe
• Tequila Sunrise with Homemade Grenadine

a cocktail that’s as good as going on vacation

Ready to hit the tropics…in your own backyard? Shake up one of these Kiwi Caipirinhas and you’ll be halfway to Rio in no time! Don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!

In support of this small business, ¡Hola! Jalapeño earns revenue in a few different ways. Several sponsored posts are published each month, such as this one here which is sponsored by California Grown. I also earn an affiliate commission on the sales of products I link to— there are a few of those links in this post. I only feature items I genuinely love and personally use on a regular basis. This commission is an arrangement between the retailer and ¡Hola! Jalapeño (readers never pay more for products). This income allows me to run the site. Thank you for reading!