Sure, you’ve enjoyed your fair share of caipirinhas, but have you ever actually made one? We’re betting not.
Mixology novices and experts alike are invited to join bartender Walter Bolinha, head bartender at Hotel Fasano São Paulo in the Baretto lobby bar for a hands-on experience making the delectable sweet-tart cocktail. Made from just three ingredients—cachaça, limes, and sugar—Walter comments that his students are always shocked that such a seemingly simple cocktail can be so complex.



The workshop focuses on the history of the caipirinha as well as the perfect execution of the cocktail.
The caipirinha's depth of flavor comes from the cocktail's main ingredient, cachaça, sometimes called Brazilian rum. While most rums are made with molasses, cachaça is created from fermented and distilled sugarcane juice. During the lesson, guests have the opportunity to sample different varieties, while Walter explains the distilling process, and what causes each variety to taste different. At least twenty types of Brazilian wood are used to make the barrels that hold cachaça until it is sufficiently aged, for instance, imparting a distinct flavor on each batch.
Then it’s on to mixing the cocktails. Pick the cachaça that suits your fancy, slice fresh lime, and learn how to muddle the fruit properly in a glass with sugar; then add ice cubes and pour in the right amount of cachaça. Walter guides you along the way, then pronto, your perfect caipirinha is ready.
The experience is wrapped up in the elegance of the Fasano's Baretto bar, designed by São Paulo-born architect, Isay Weinfeld. Named one of the best bars in the world by Wallpaper magazine, Baretto is a local legend in its own right where locals and visitors mingle over caipirinhas, listening to jazz and bossa nova artists performing nightly. It also serves as the hotel’s lobby—a very chic first stop for guests checking in to the hotel indeed.
To learn more about Hotel Fasano São Paulo, or to participate in the caipirinha workshop, please contact the concierge upon making a reservation.