Light and Refreshing Tomato Basil Caipirinha

Tomato Basil Caipirinha is a light and refreshing Brazilian cocktail drink made from lime, basil, sugar, tomato juice, cachaça (rum/vodka), and ice. It’s quicker to prepare than a Bloody Mary or Michelada!

It’s Carnival time in Brazil! And this year we are celebrating with this light and refreshing Tomato Basil Caipirinha (Caipirinha de Tomate e Manjericão).

Because, honey, if you think caipirinhas are made only from lime, sugar, cachaça, and ice… then you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. It’s the Brazilian version of the famous Bloody Mary and the Mexican Michelada.

If you are a fan of these, you will love our flavorful caipirinha.

But let me tell ya, caipirinhas come in all kind of flavors: passion fruit, cashew fruit, kiwi, strawberry, and so on.

They are quite popular in the hot climate Brazil — not only during Carnival but all year long. Pretty much most bars and restaurants serve them in a variety of flavors.

Well, since I won’t be in Brazil celebrating Carnival this year (or any time soon), I will sip my Tomato Basil Caipirinha while listening to my favorite Carnival rhythms: frevo, axé, and samba!

I know, I know… when you think Carnival, Rio may come to mind.

But actually, one of the best places to celebrate Carnival is right in my own hometown, Recife.  Galo da Madrugada is simply named in the ‘The Guinness Book of World Records’ as the biggest Carnival parade in the world (yes!!!).

It joins together more than 2.5 million participants — dressed in typical costumes and dancing frevo and other rhythms in the streets of downtown Recife, where gigantic dolls are displayed.  

Carnival in Recife (by permission of Diário de Pernambuco).

During these festivities many beverages are consumed, including Brazilian limeade and caipirinhas of many flavors, such as Tomato Basil Caipirinha.

How to Prepare Tomato Basil Caipirinha

This Tomato Basil Caipirinha requires less ingredients and is quicker to prepare than a Bloody Mary or Michelada. That’s right!

All we have to do is place limes wedges, fresh basil leaves, and sugar into a 8-oz glass.

Macerate well with a muddler in order to extract the lime juice. Stir in tomato juice and cachaça (or white rum or vodka), and then fill the glass with ice.

As a final touch, you can serve it with a skewer of tomato and basil… and if desired, with a small fresh mozzarella cheese ball. Simple and quite DE-LI-CIOUS.

It’s an eat-and-drink cocktail!

So there’s no excuse for you not to experience a true Brazilian party… in your mouth! 🙂

Cheers to happiness!!!!

P.S.: A special thanks to Diário de Pernambuco for permitting me to use their gorgeous Carnival photo montage! (Obrigado, Diário de Pernambuco, por nos permitir usar a sua linda foto montagem neste artigo!)

TO PIN & ENJOY!

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Tomato Basil Caipirinha

Tomato Basil Caipirinha is a light and refreshing Brazilian cocktail drink made from lime, basil, sugar, tomato juice, cachaça (rum/vodka), and ice. It's quicker to prepare than Bloody Mary or Michelada!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Ingredients

• 2 Lime wedges
• 5 fresh basil leaves
• 2-4 Tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup tomato juice (light or original), chilled
• 2-4 Tablespoons cachaça (white rum or vodka)
• Ice

Instructions

1. Place limes wedges, fresh basil leaves, and sugar into a 8-oz glass.
2. Macerate well with a muddler in order to extract the lime juice. Stir in tomato juice and cachaça (white rum or vodka), and then fill the glass with ice.
3. As a final touch, you can serve it with a skewer of tomato and basil... and if desired, with a small fresh mozzarella cheese ball.
4. A true eat-and-drink cocktail!

Recipe Notes

For a virgin version you can substitute sparkling water for the alcoholic beverage in the recipe above.