Brazilian National Cocktail at Townline BBQ Adds to the Olympic Festivities

Townline Olympics

The 31st Summer Olympics has gotten off to a festive start, with last Friday night’s colorful and immensely danceable opening ceremony in Rio, Brazil (could you stay in your seats? I couldn’t!). Brazil is known for its pageantry, its amazing musical rhythms and dances, as well as being home to the most important rain forest on Earth. It should not surprise anyone that some excellent food and drink also come out of South American’s largest country.

Townline BBQ in Sagaponack turns out to be just the place to enjoy watching this summer’s Olympic games. You can hang out with other into-it folks while also enjoying a limited edition take on a famous Brazilian cocktail: the Caipirinha. The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail (yes, they have a national cocktail). It’s made with cachaça, a rum-like spirit made from distilled sugarcane juice with mulled lemon and lime, and sugar. It’s served on the rocks.

At Townline, they’ve come up with their own take on it, the Watermelon Caipirinha. They will be serving this Hamptons-Brazilian special through the rest of the summer, in honor of the Olympic games, which began on Friday and continue for the next two weeks.

Townline Olympics

Townline will be open 7 days beginning at 11:30 am, with four wide-screen TVs in the bar showing the Olympic games. I heard about the Watermelon —watermelon being in season now—and thought of a watermelon cocktail I came up with last summer, which was delicious. Then I imagined it combined with great barbeque and the fun of watching my favorite sports games with other enthusiasts. The whole idea was too good to pass up.

So, by the second night of the Brazilian Olympic games, my family and I were settled in at Townline to watch the women’s swimming competition. We ordered fried macaroni and cheese, brisket and pulled pork sandwiches, thin crispy French fries, and the local seasonal fruit pie (right now it is peach and blueberry in a crispy shell like a dumpling).

Townline Olympics

I watched my Watermelon Caipirinha being made during a commercial break, and it was just as fun to do so as it was to drink it. The bartender hand crushed local sweet red watermelon then poured the mash over ice in a large jelly jar glass. A shot of Auva Cachaca, homemade lime-simple syrup, and it was ready. I highly recommend asking for extra lime pieces with this drink, which the bartender was happy to add. The Caipirinha is sweet, make no mistake, but it is also delicious and refreshing, the perfect compliment to spicy barbeque on a hot summer night. Especially when you’re working up a sweat cheering for your favorite team players.

The Watermelon Caipirinha cocktail is $12 during regular hours and $6 when happy hour is going on. Townline BBQ is at 3593 Townline Road, Sagaponack. For more information call  (631) 537-2271 or go to www.townlinebbq.com.

Newsletter