Place lime wedges face up in the bottom of an Old-fashioned glass.
Sprinkle with sugar.
Muddle {mash} to release the lime juice.
Add ice and cachaça.
Stir well and serve.
Notes
To make for a large crowd: Multiply by the amount of guests and mix in a large pitcher.
If you cannot find cachaça, substitute vodka for a Caipiroska, or rum for a Caipiríssima.
I am almost positive that they use raw or turbinado sugar in Brazil, but I grabbed super-fine out of habit. Raw sugar will add a little more of a molasses flavor to your cocktail.
My muddler is MIA, so I grabbed a wooden tool out of the drawer that I believe is for pressing dough into mini pie pans??? Just find something that will mash your limes and sugar together without breaking the glass.
You do not need to completely pulverize the limes, just muddle enough to get the juice out.
I have seen versions with the limes cut into small wedges {like mine}, some with large wedges, and even some with peeled lime wedges. Do whatever works for you, just remember to clean the limes before you use them.
I tossed some ice cubes into a zipper-top freezer bag and whacked them a few times with a wooden rolling pin to crush them….super simple.