Caju Amigo
Caju Amigo is a fruity, tropical and citrus cocktail made with Cachaça, with moderate flavor complexity.
Ingredients
- 75 ml white cachaça
- 25 ml lime juice
- 20 ml cashew fruit syrup
- 1 cashew fruit in syrup (mashed)
- Ice
- Mint
Method
- In a shaker, combine the white cachaça, lime juice, and cashew fruit syrup.
- Add the cashew fruit in syrup and muddle to extract whatever juice and pulp are left.
- Fill with ice and shake hard.
- Pour everything into a highball glass, unstrained — the pulp is part of the drink.
- Slap the mint in your palm and add it to the glass.
- Cut off the top of the cashew fruit with the nut and set it on top, with crushed ice underneath to hold it in place.
FAQ
What is in a Caju Amigo?
A Caju Amigo is made with 75 ml white cachaça, 25 ml lime juice, 20 ml cashew fruit syrup, 1 cashew fruit in syrup (mashed), Ice and Mint.
When should you serve a Caju Amigo?
A Caju Amigo fits a barbecue, the beach, a party, a hot day, a classic and a Brazilian table.
What can I use instead of cachaça?
Cachaça is a Brazilian cane spirit. Without it, the drink is no longer the same recipe. An unaged rhum agricole is the closest stand-in; white rum is a last resort and will taste different.
What is the bartender tip for a Caju Amigo?
The version that became famous in 1974, by Guilhermino Ribeiro dos Santos at Pandoro (São Paulo), was vodka built in the glass with no lime. There are accounts that the caju amigo may date back to the 1950s, with Carlinhos Niemeyer. This is Carolina Bastos's recipe from Jequitaia: cachaça, lime, and shaken — cashew fruit and cachaça reinforce each other, and the lime brightens the fruit. Compote: take two washed cashew fruits, prick them with a fork, and squeeze out the juice; boil 1/2 cup water with 3/4 cup sugar (demerara works), add the juice and fruit, and simmer 25–30 min over low heat. No need to peel. Lemon can stand in for lime. The mint is Tato's touch — slapped in the palm, not muddled.