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Macunaíma

Aperitivo/aperitif · Bittersweet (e.g. Negroni) · Contemporary classic

4.5 272 ratings

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Ingredients

1 2/3 oz Cachaça (unaged)
2/3 oz Lemon juice
1/2 oz Sugar syrup 'rich' (2:1)
1/4 oz Fernet liqueur

How to make

Serve in a old-fashioned glass

Prepare

  1. 1 Select and pre-chill an OLD-FASHIONED GLASS.
  2. 2 No garnish to prepare.

Method

  1. 3 SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. 4 STRAIN into chilled glass. (No ice in glass.)

Garnish

  1. 5 Serve naked, without garnish.

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Flavour profile

18.2% alc./vol. · 1.3 standard drinks · 180 calories

History

A cachaça sour with additional bittersweet herbal depth from a dash of fernet.

Pronounced 'Ma-cu-nayma', this drink originates from a 2014 recipe by Arnaldo Hirai of the Boca de Ouro bar in São Paulo, Brazil. Arnaldo states his recipe began to take shape in 2014 and was nearly named Caxirola, after the rattle created by Carlinhos Brown for the World Cup in Brazil that same year. The 2010 World Cup in South Africa was perceived by many to be marred by the overwhelming noise of the Vuvuzela, and the Caxirola was conceived as a quieter alternative. The instrument did not gain popularity and was subsequently banned from football stadiums. Arnaldo opted instead to name his cocktail after the 1928 novel by Mário de Andrade, a seminal work of Brazilian modernism. The Macunaíma rapidly became the most popular cocktail at Boca de Ouro, selling between 500 and 600 units monthly. While the ingredients remained consistent, Arnaldo notes that the proportions were adjusted to reduce the sweetness. The bar's recipe is as follows: 50ml (1 2⁄3oz) Cachaça 20ml (2⁄3oz) Lime juice 20ml (2⁄3oz) Sugar syrup (1:1) 7ml (1⁄4) Fernet Branca Upon initially translating this recipe from Portuguese, lime juice was mistaken for lemon. After being corrected by a Brazilian acquaintance, a re-test with both citrus juices confirmed a preference for lemon. The cocktail is pleasant with lime but superior with lemon. It is acknowledged that limes available in Brazil are typically sweeter and more aromatic than those exported to the UK, suggesting this preference might vary when preparing the drink in Brazil. A modification was made by substituting 20ml of 1:1 sugar syrup with 15ml of 2:1 sugar syrup. For an even more exceptional flavor profile, 12.5ml of 2:1 sugar syrup combined with 2.5ml of 3:1 honey syrup is recommended.

Created by Arnaldo Hirai