Holy Caipirinhas, Batman!

If I've noticed anything about the Indy epicurean scene lately, it's that we've finally become a cocktail city. Cheers to that! No longer are we subject merely to martinis, fruity daiquiris, and margaritas (or Sex on the Beaches--maybe Sexes on the Beach?--which I'm glad to say goodbye to after I bid adieu to a recent paramour who adored them--ugh!). Now we've got mojitos, Moscow mules, and caipirinhas! In fact, I had two of those Brazilian classics just this past week, and both of them were excellent. The first caipirinha was at BARcelona tapas; the second I had at the new steakhouse Brazilian Grill (on Lake Cirle Drive on the Northwest side). What is a caipirinha, you ask? Well, it's a concoction of lime juice, sugar, and cachaça, a smooth, rum-like alcohol distilled from sugar cane juice that is actually the fouth most consumed alcohol on the planet. The last time I bought some, I got it at John's downtown. A friend said he tried to get it at the new Kahn's on Keystone, but they were out of it (though they usually have it, the clerk said). A caipirinha is the perfect drink of summer, exactly what you imagine sipping on a sultry beach in Rio while the girl (or boy) of Ipanema strolls by (and it's potent enough to help you through not being noticed by said boy or girl). The best are a smooth balance of citrus and sugar, and both of the versions I had were good. The former was a bit more effervescent, perhaps with a hit of soda water. But it was fairly dear (and a tad small) at $7.50. The second was stronger on the lime and just a bit more potent all around. But both did the trick. At Brazilian Grill, a carnivore's paradise where you use a card with a green side and a red side to indicate whether you want more beef, pork, or chicken carved off a giant rod), the bartender made us a version using lemons, a ginger syrup, and basil leaves. The basil didn't come through very strongly, but there was a definite spicy hit of ginger in the back of the throat that made you sit up and take notice. So, if you're in a cocktail rut, try something from South America for a change at one of Indy's sexy new eateries. Saude!