Presented by Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor

Please note: There will be no Cocktail of the Week posts for May 16 or May 23, as I’ll be taking an intensive course on sake those two weeks.

Summer is Caipirinha time, sure—but there’s more to Cachaça than Caipirinhas. Meet the Caipirinha’s cousin “Esmeralda,” or as I also like to call it, “Angus Goes to Brazil.” 

(For some background on Caipirinhas and Cachaça, Brazil’s answer to rum, see the August 23, 2023 Libation Lounge post.)

The Esmeralda has the flavor of Brazilian summer (Cachaça. lime, and sugar!) plus added Northern hemisphere complexity from peaty Scotch whisky and France’s St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur. 

THE ESMERALDA COCKTAIL
1¾ oz Cachaça
⅓ oz Peaty Islay Scotch
½ oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
½ oz Freshly squeezed lime juice
¼ oz Simple syrup (2 parts sugar to one part water if making at home)

Chill a cocktail coupe before starting to mix. Combine all of the ingredients in a shaker with plenty of ice, and shake for 15-20 seconds until the drink is well chilled. Strain the mix into the chilled cocktail coupe and garnish with a wheel of lime and/or curls of lime zest. 

About our Cocktail of the Week partners—shop local and independent!
Cooks’ World and Pinnacle Wine & Liquor are less than a mile from each other, on Monroe Avenue near Twelve Corners in Brighton.

Cooks’ World, in business since 1978, is Rochester’s premier retailer of dining, kitchen, and cooking products, including a complete selection of glassware, mixology tools, and accessories for wine and spirits lovers. Follow Cooks’ World on Facebook and Instagram. Sign up here to receive Cooks’ World’s daily email specials and other news. 

Pinnacle Wine & Liquor, in business since 1997, offers a thoughtfully curated selection of spirits and wine from around the world, with a savvy staff to assist in your selection and encourage you along your cocktail and wine journey. Follow Pinnacle on Facebook and Instagram. For the inside track on Pinnacle’s spirits sales, send two text messages to (585)765-7546:
— Text the word “bourbon,” to receive weekly text messages offering the chance to buy rare or allocated whiskies or special prices on popular products.
—Text the word “spirits,” to receive roughly monthly offers on fine spirits other than whiskies.