At the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, Leblon Cachaça held a USBG Caipirinha Competition. The United States Bartenders Guild had 18 bartenders from 9 cities represent their chapter to compete for the top prize and a golden muddler to bring back to the winning city.
This years competition was hosted by The Modern Mixologist, Tony Abou-Ganim, and was judged by Naren Young (New York Cities BoBo Restaurant), Junior Merino (The Liquid Chef), and Francine Cohen (Editor of Food and Beverage Journal, media partner for the National USBG Caipirinha competition). Winners this year were Peoples Choice: Tad Carducci (The Tippling Brothers) and Judges Choice: USBG Las Vegas Chapter which was composed of Tobin Ellis and Andrew Pollard.
Mindy Kucan
Rose Bud
1 1/2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1 1/2 oz. coconut water
1 bar spoon rose jam
1/4 oz. lime juice
2 strawberries – quartered
In a mixing glass muddle strawberries with rose
jam. Add liquid ingredients and shake. Double
strain through a Julep and tea strainer. Garnish with
a candied edible rose and an Innocent Chocolate
cube.
Bill Norris
The Liberdade
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1 oz. yuzu juice
1 oz. fresh cucumber, preferably Japanese or
English, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 oz. green tea syrup
In a mixing glass, muddle cucumber, ginger and
green tea syrup. Add yuzo juice and Cachaça.
hake with ice and double strain into chilled
cocktail glass or coupe. Garnish with thinly shaved
cucumber slice floated on drink.
Cristiana Delucca
The Za-Za
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 of a lime, quartered
3/4 oz. blackberry puree
1/2-1 barspoon superfine sugar
pinch fresh grated ginger
1/2 oz. ginger liquer
Soda
Muddle the first three ingredients in a bar glass.
Add the ginger, cachaça, ginger liqueur and ice.
Shake well and double strain over crushed ice into
highball glass and top with soda. Garnish with
blackberries that have been dusted with superfine
sugar and placed on a skewer with a lime wheel in
between them.
Tim Lacey
Sekt and dying in high society
1 1/4 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 of a pear, cubed (preferably anjou)
3/4 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. agave nectar
1/2 barspoon rose water
Sparkling Riesling
Edible rose petal dusted with superfine sugar
In a mixing glass combine pear, lemon juice and
agave nectar. Muddle. Add rosewater and Leblon.
Shake and strain over ice. Fill with sparkling
Riesling. Roll gently to mix. Garnish with rose
petal.
Nate Newbrough
The Razzmajazz
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
6 raspberries
1 oz. jasmine tea syrup
1 slice cucumber (seedless)
white soda
club soda
Muddle 6 Raspberries with 1 oz. of Jasmine tea
syrup in metal shaker. Add 2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
and ice to shaker and shake. Strain contents of
shaker into a tall cocktail glass filled with ice. Place
slice of Cucumber on top of ice in glass and fill
glass with a press (half club soda and half 7-Up)
poured over the slice of cucumber. To get full
experience make sure cucumber stays on top of
your ice so you get it’s aromatics while you drink.
Mathias Simonis
The Redemption
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 small lime sliced
1 tbsp. sugar
6-7 large mint leaves
1 oz. Earl Grey infused vermouth
1 oz. passion fruit juice
Jamaican ginger beer
Muddle lime, sugar, and mint leaves in a shaker.
Add Leblon Cachaça, vermouth and juice and
shake well. Serve over ice in 12 oz. cocktail glass
topped with a touch of Jamaican ginger beer.
Garnish with a mint sprig.
Maksym Pazuniak
The Exuma
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1 tbsp. Madagascar bourbon pure vanilla sugar
1/2 oz. absinthe
1/2 Meyer Lemon, quartered
1 egg white
1 pinch Maldon Sea Salt
Star anise
Muddle Meyer lemon, pure vanilla sugar, and sea
salt in mixing glass until sugar is dissolved and
lemon is fully juiced. add absinthe and muddle
quickly to incorporate. Add Leblon Cachaça
and shake briefly. Double strain into another
mixing glass. Add egg white, and dry-shake for
1 minute. Add ice, shake and strain into cocktail
glass. Garnish with one “star” of star anise.
Tad Carducci – Winning cocktail
Masalarinha
A fragrant, Indian-Inspired Caipirinha.
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
3 quarters lime
1/2 oz. honey
1 2” inch peel of grapefruit
1 1” inch cube of fresh pineapple
1/4 tsp. garam masala powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric for color
Muddle lime, pineapple and honey. Add additional
ingredients and ice. Shake and serve over ice.
Chris Stanley
Ipanema Beachcomber
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 oz. cinnamon syrup (homemade)
2 tsp. agave nectar
1/8 fresh pink grapefruit, quartered w/ center pith &
ends removed
3 cubes (1”): fresh Pineapple
1 dash Angostura Orange bitters or honey-tangerine
bitters
1 drop: Pastis (Herbsaint)
Combine syrup, nectar, bitters, pineapple and
grapefruit in a mixing glass & muddle. Add
remaining ingredients with plenty of ice & shake
well. Strain into a highball glass half-filled with
cracked ice. Garnish with a sugarcane stick & a
long twist of fresh Grapefruit.
Tobin Ellis – Winning cocktail
São Paulo flip
1 1/2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 tsp. apricot & fig preserves
1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur
1 1/2 oz. apricot nectar
2 dashes Peychaud bitters
Lemon Espuma*
Fresh hand charged seltzer
Combine all ingredients in mixing glass. Add
ice, shake and then strain. Top with 3/8” Lemon
Espuma. Sprinkle with dash of cardamom dust.
Etch rosetta pattern with Apricot Coulis.
Lemon Espuma:
In Dessert Whip add 4 oz. fresh lemon juice, 4 oz.
pure cane syrup, 4 oz. egg white. Charge mixture
with 1 NO2, shake and chill.
Andrew Pollard – Winning cocktail
El calor del Brasil
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1oz. lime basil simple syrup
1/2 oz. fresh tangerine puree
6 fresh pineapple chunks
1 julienned jalapeno slice
Muddle together the pineapple and jalapeno with
the lime basil syrup and tangerine puree. Next ,
add Leblon Cachaça, shake and double strain over
fresh ice. Garnish with a Pineapple Spear, Basil
Sprig and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.
Danny Valdez
Esmeralda
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/4 oz. allspice dram/liquor
4 pitted cherries (bing or similar)
2 dashes of Angostura bitters
1/4 oz. rich simple syrup
Fresh cherry
Muddle cherries, simple syrup. allspice dram and
bitters in mixing glass; add Cachaça, top with ice.
shake. pour into old fashioned glass. Garnish with a
cherry.
Trudy Thomas
Brazilian Streetcar
1 1/2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 oz. ginger liqueur
4 cubes of fresh watermelon
2 key limes pressed
1 oz. hibiscus syrup
1 oz. pineapple juice
cracked pink peppercorns
Pineapple leaf and edible hibiscus flower
In a mixing glass muddle the watermelon cubes
into a puree, press two key limes and add hibiscus
syrup, pineapple juice, ginger liqueur and Leblon
Cachaça add ice and shake vigorously. Strain over
ice in a tall glass, top with a quick grind of pink
peppercorns. Garnish with a pineapple leaf and
edible hibiscus flower.
Cory Jansen
Espirito Brasileiro
(Brazilian Spirit)
1 1/2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 lime
1/2 oz. simple syrup
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 oz. pineapple juice
Muddle lime quartered with the simple syrup and
bitters, add the Leblon and pineapple juice and
shake. Then strain into a martini glass rimmed with
a cinnamon, sugar, and dried orange zest mixture
and garnish with a pineapple wedge.
Victoria D’Amato
Tales du Brasil
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 oz. pineapple vodka
1- 1” round of fresh pineapple, grilled and cut in 1”
cubes
2 oz. praline syrup
3 oz. fresh pineapple juice
candied pecans & a pineapple leaf
In a blender, add the pinepple cubes. Blend for
30 seconds to get the pieces broken down. Add
the remaining ingredients. Add ice. Blend until
a “smoothie” consistancy forms. Pour into a
hurricane glass. Take 2 pecans and dip them in the syrup, Place on drink.
Chase Williamson
Spicy Caipirinha
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
3 quartered limes
4 mangos cut to similar size and shape of limes
1-3 dashes of cayenne
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 bar spoons coarse salt
Muddle limes and sugar in the bottom of a mixing
glass. Add cayenne, salted mangos, Leblon and
ice. Shake vigorously to release more flavor from
the mangos. Pour entire contents of the drink into
highball glass. There is a lot fruit in this drink so do
not add too much ice.
Pablo Moix
Rockaway Smash
1 1/2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
8-10 mint leaves
2 lemon wedges
2 lime wedges
3 pineapple chunks
1 oz. Pimm’s #1
3/4 oz. simple syrup
In a pint mixing glass, add mint leaves, lemon,
lime, and pineapple. Then hand press, add spirit and
mixers. Fill glass with ice, and shake vigorously for
6 seconds. Strain over fresh ice in a old fashioned
glass. Garnish with a pineapple leaf, mint sprig, and
lemon peel.
Matthew Eggleston
The Desert Caipirinha
2 oz. Leblon Cachaça
1/2 oz. walnut liqueur
1/2 oz. fresh orange juice
1 oz. condensed milk
3 dates
1/2 lime – cubed
1 tsp. natural cane sugar
Muddle dates, lime, and natural cane sugar. Add 2
oz. Leblon Cachaça, walnut liqueur, orange juice,
and condensed milk. Shake well in Boston shaker
and loosely strain contents over fresh ice in a
highball glass. Garnish with micro-planed orange
zest.
