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Mojito vs Caipirinha
Muddled-lime cousins — rum and mint versus cachaça and sugar.
Which should you make?
The Caipirinha is the stronger, rougher, more direct drink: cachaça, whole muddled limes and sugar, no soda to lengthen it. The Mojito is the same idea softened with mint and stretched with soda. Warm afternoon, make a Mojito; after dinner, make a Caipirinha.
| Attribute | Mojito | Caipirinha Caipirinha |
|---|---|---|
| In a word | off-dry, sharp, very light, sparkling — a sour-structured drink served long, over ice. | off-dry, very sharp, light — a sour-structured drink served over crushed ice. |
| Structure | Sour-structured | Sour-structured |
| Family | Highball | Smash |
| Smells of | Mint, Citrus peel | Citrus peel, Fresh herb, Caramel and molasses |
| Technique | MuddlingFresh, green, immediate aroma that no syrup or liqueur reproduces, because it has not been heated or preserved. | MuddlingFresh, green, immediate aroma that no syrup or liqueur reproduces, because it has not been heated or preserved. |
| Base spirit | rum | rum |
| Strength | medium | strong |
| ABV | 8.3% | 13.3% |
| Calories | 160 kcal | 170 kcal |
| Sweetness | 2/5 | 2/5 |
| Sourness | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Bitterness | 0/5 | 1/5 |
| Prep time | 5 min | 5 min |
| Difficulty | easy | easy |
| Equipment | Muddler, Jigger, Bar spoon | Muddler, Jigger, Ice crusher / Lewis bag |
| Occasions | everyday, summer, party | summer, party, everyday |
| Alcohol-free option | Yes | No |
Choose the Mojito if you'd rather keep the calories down and you want something lighter in alcohol.
Choose the Caipirinha if you want something more spirit-forward.
Can you make both?
These two share no required ingredient at all — they are separate shopping trips.
- Only the Mojito
- Fresh mint leaves, Fresh lime juice, Simple syrup, White rum, Soda water
- Only the Caipirinha
- Whole lime, cut into wedges, Sugar, Cachaça
What actually separates them
strength
The Caipirinha is markedly stronger — 4/5 against 2/5 — so the Mojito is the one to reach for if that is not what you want.
how much alcohol you are drinking
At 13.3% against 8.3%, the Caipirinha is roughly 1.6 times the strength in the glass — 2.4 UK units against 2.
Effectively identical on: sweetness.