A compilation of the 20 best cachaça cocktails would not be complete without a Caipirinha, not only the classic, but one or two more fruity options. However, there's more you can do with Brazil's national spirit and it's not all about muddling limes. The Lavarello and Rabo-de-Galo, for example, are two of my favourite stirred-down cocktails.

Batida Rosa
With: Cachaça, soda, pineapple juice, lemon juice and grenadine syrup.
We say: Fruity and tropical. A tall refreshing drink for a hot evening or an afternoon beside the pool.

Bitter in Brazil
With: Cachaça, orange curaçao liqueur, Punt e Mes, sugar syrup and Fernet Branca.
We say: Bittersweet with orange accents and Fernet Branca contributing subtle bitterness.

Brazil 66
With: Cachaça, triple sec, orange juice, sugar syrup and lime juice.
We say: Reminiscent of an orange influenced Caipirinha

Brazil Basil Smash
With: Basil leaves, cachaça, lemon juice, and sugar syrup.
We say: Basil flavours combine brilliantly with cachaça's funky notes in this frappé.

Brazilian Contessa
With: Cachaça, bitter aperitivo, dry vermouth, orange bitters.
We say: The Contessa is subtly sweet 'n' sour with delicate bitterness with a bold orange hue.

Brazuca Remedy
With: Cachaça, limoncello, runny honey, lime juice, Aperol, basil leaves and egg white.
We say: Bittersweet and complex with underlying cachaça character. Perfect as an aperitivo.

Cachaça Daiquiri
With: Cachaça, lime juice, sugar syrup, and Daiquiri Bitters.
We say: Might not look like a Caipirinha but tastes like a Caipirinha - a very sophisticated and refined Caipirinha.

Cachaça Fruit Cup (Difford's Cup No.10)
With: Cachaça, orange curaçao liqueur, sweet vermouth, Angostura Aromatic Bitters, ginger ale and cola.
We say: A fruit cup is just not as fruity when made with any other spirit - yes, cachaça is distilled from fermented sugar cane juice rather than fruit, but in this cocktail it seems to amplify fruity and sweet notes.

Caipirinha
With: Cachaça, lime and sugar.
We say: You may have drunk a Caipirinha but have you tried one made the Brazilian way?

Caneflower
With: Cachaça, Aperol, and elderflower liqueur.
We say: Rust-coloured and bittersweet with cachaça and elderflower.

Edison's Medicine
With: Cachaça, basil leaves, Yellow Chartreuse, lime juice, and agave syrup.
We say: Cachaça leads with basil and Chartreuse herbal notes, zesty lime and agave richness.

Esmeralda
With: Cachaça, Islay single malt Scotch whisky, elderflower liqueur, lime juice and sugar syrup.
We say: Cachaça, lime and elderflower with a smoky hit of Islay whisky.

Iz Bananaz
With: Cachaça, amaro, banana liqueur, and lemon juice.
We say: Funky, bittersweet, and very refreshing.

Lavarello
With: Cachaça, Aperol, Cynar, and chocolate bitters.
We say: A riff on the Rabo-de-Gallo with bittersweet aperitivo in place of sweet vermouth.

Lemon Beat
With: Cachaça, lemon juice, and honey syrup.
We say: Simple, but when made with a quality cachaça and raw honey syrup, then the Lemon Beat is delicious.

Macunaíma
With: Cachaça, lemon juice, sugar syrup, and fernet liqueur.
We say: A Cachaça Sour given bittersweet herbal depth of flavour by a splash of fernet.

Orinoco
With: Cachaça, apple juice, fino sherry, white crème de cacao, and orgeat syrup.
We say: Dry sherry, chocolate and almond add subtle nuances to a base of cachaça and apple juice.

Pineapple & Mint Caipirinha
With: Cachaça, pineapple, mint, lime and sugar.
We say: Minty fresh pineapple takes the humble Caipirinha into the realm of tropical drinks.

Rabo-de-Galo
With: Cachaça, sweet vermouth, amaro, and hopped grapefruit bitters.
We say: The bittersweet herbal notes from the vermouth and amaro combine harmoniously with the cachaça.

Sweet Grape Caipirinha
With: Cachaça, red grapes, Sauternes wine, lime, and sugar.
We say: Flavours of fresh grape and in wine form transform this into a Caipirinha D'uva.

More Cachaça cocktails