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Head to head

Caipirinha vs. Whiskey Sour

Caipirinha and Whiskey Sour side by side: what changes in the recipe, the balance, the strength and the calories.

The difference, by the numbers

They have no ingredient in common: the Caipirinha has cachaça, lime juice and sugar, the Whiskey Sour bourbon, lemon juice and simple syrup. In parts, a Caipirinha is 2 cachaça, 1 lime and ¾ sugar; a Whiskey Sour is 2¼ whiskey, 1¼ lemon and 1 syrup. By volume, the Caipirinha is 52% spirit, 26% citrus and 22% syrup and sugar; the Whiskey Sour is 50% spirit, 28% citrus and 22% syrup and sugar. Different bottles, similar balance: that makes them close cousins on the ratio map.

The Caipirinha is the stronger drink in the glass (17.8% ABV against 13.4%) and holds more alcohol (1.35 standard drinks against 1.14). The Caipirinha has more calories (about 202 against 168) and more sugar (16.5 g against 13.0 g). The Caipirinha is built and served in a rocks glass; the Whiskey Sour is shaken and served in a coupe.

Whiskey Sour

Sours · Whiskey

Strength
13.4%
Std. drinks
1.14
Calories
168
Sugar
13.0 g

Shaken, served in a coupe. About 5 oz (151 ml) in the glass. Garnish: Half an orange slice and a cherry, or orange peel.

The ratio · 2¼ : 1¼ : 1

Full Whiskey Sour recipe →

Highlighted: not in the Caipirinha.

On the ratio map

SpiritVermouthCitrusMixerSyrupLiqueurCaipirinhaWhiskey Sour

Each drink sits nearer the corners it has more of: spirit, vermouth and bitter, citrus, mixer, syrup or liqueur. The gray dots are the other classics. Explore the full ratio map.

More head to heads

Caipirinha vs.

Whiskey Sour vs.

All head to heads →