Fizzy, versatile, pineapple tepache is your new favorite drink.
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Tepache is a multi-talented beverage that can be enjoyed in co*cktails, mixed with beer, sipped over ice with a squeeze of lime, or in a glass all by its lonesome! Two more points in its favor: Tepache is fermented, which means it’s good for you, plus, this shining star is brewed using the rind and core of the pineapple, two bits that would ordinarily head straight for the compost pile– you Earth warrior, you. It’s also insanely easy to make yourself.
Tepache hails from Mexico, all the way back to Mexico’s Aztec roots. Tepache was first brewed using corn, and evolved to pineapple somewhere along the centuries.
If you haven’t tasted tepache before, it may not be what you’d expect.
While pineapple is piercingly acidic, raucously sweet, and altogether bold in flavor, tepache shows off a softer pineapple flavor, complemented by a soft kiss of cinnamon and clove and a shroud of fizzy yeast. It is incredibly enjoyable. My favorite way to drink it is mixed with cold Modelo. It also plays well with gin, tequila, and mezcal.
Recipe Notes:
So is it alcoholic?
If there is any alcoholic content present, it is minisculely small, especially when fermented just 1-3 days. Some like to bottle tepache and give it a second ferment, which results in a slightly higher alcohol content.
The Glass Container:
Traditionally, tepache is brewed in clay vessels. Since I don’t happen to have a food-safe clay vessel, I use a big glass vase, (I think it’s from Home Goods?), pictured above the recipe below.
Glass is great because it can be cleaned throughly, leaving no place for bad bacteria to hide. A glass pitcher will work too!
The material to steer away from is metal– the acidity in pineapple will react with the metal over time and taste metallic-y. Similarly, the acid may damage enameled cookware or eat away at/ leech plastic– truthfully, I don’t know for sure, but my gut says don’t risk it!
Cutting a Pineapple:
Not sure how to cut up a whole pineapple? Here ya go!
Piloncillo
Piloncillo is a cone shaped, unprocessed cane sugar often used in Mexican cuisine. Because it is a raw sugar, it has a deeper and more complex flavor more similar to brown sugar than white sugar (though it does not contain molasses.) Palm sugar, an ingredient used in Southeast Asian cuisine is also an example of unrefined sugar, though its source is not sugar cane but palm flowers.
Piloncillo is the ideal sweetener for this recipe, but if it isn’t available to you, use brown sugar or palm sugar in its place.
Fermentation Know-How:
Though Tepache is very very simple to brew, there are a few key understandings necessary to achieve fermentation:
- First, we want the yeast from the pineapple to live and multiply.
- To begin, the riper your pineapple is, the more yeast is present naturally, so look for a ripe one!
- Water that is too hot will kill yeast, and water that is too icy isn’t welcoming to yeast, so tepid (neutral, room temperature-ish) water is ideal for this recipe. Preferably you’ll also be able to keep your pineapple out of the fridge ahead of brewing, and cut just before adding to your container. (But I have stored cuttings in the fridge a day ahead and it still worked.)
- Last, yeast needs air to live and multiply. Be sure that whatever you use to weigh down your pineapple pieces isn’t so large that it covers most of the surface of the container. If after two days there are no bubbles in your brew, try a smaller weight.
(Note: Weights are used for fermentation to avoid mold growth. If you make the decision not to use weights, be on the look out for mold on exposed solids and know that the tepache will not be safe to drink with mold growth.)
Similarly, use a breathable towel or fabric to cover the tepache while it brews.
Fermentation Time
Heat is a big factor in how long your tepache will take to ferment and start forming its fizz. If your environment is warm, or you don’t have AC, check on your brew within the first day. That being said, I made my last batch during a heat wave with no AC and it still took 3 days to ferment!
Storage Time
Once tepache is bottled and stored in the fridge, I’ve heard storage length suggestions varying from 1 week to 1 year. Coming from personal experience, I’ve had tepache in the fridge for about 2 months with not issues (so far it hasn’t lasted longer than than!)
Step-By-Step:
Tepache (Mexican Fermented Pineapple Drink) Recipe
Print Recipe
Tepache
Course: Drinks
Keyword: cinnamon, cloves, pineapple, tepache
Servings: 2 quarts
Equipment
Large glass container (such as a pitcher)
Small glass cup or bowl
Cheese cloth or flour sack towel or breathable cotton fabric/ dish towel
Twine or string (optional)
Fine mesh sieve
Glass jars or bottles for storage
Ingredients
- 2 quarts tepid water
- 1 cup 7oz piloncillo, palm sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- The rind and core of a ripe pineapple rinse the pineapple with cool water before cutting
Instructions
In a large glass container combine the water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the pineapple peel and core and stir.
Place a small glass cup or bowl on top of the pineapple pieces to weigh them down and keep them submerged, being mindful that the weight isn’t so large that the surface of the water is completely covered (air needs to get in for the pineapple to produce yeast and ferment.)
Cover the container with a few layers of cheesecloth, a flour sack towel, or any breathable cotton fabric or towel. If you’re concerned about bugs or fruit flies, use a piece of string to secure the cloth around the container.
Leave the tepache on the counter for 24-72 hours to ferment, checking every half a day or so for progress. If it is very warm and/or you don’t have AC, check the tepache after 12 hours as it may ferment more quickly. Once the tepache begins to form tiny white bubbles/foam, it has begun to ferment. At this point, you can start tasting your tepache. I like to use a reusable straw to taste– I lower the straw into the tepache about an inch, and place my finger over the exposed opening of the straw to trap a sample inside. The longer the tepache ferments, the fizzier, yeastier, and less sweet it will become. If the tepache ferments too long, it will turn sour like vinegar.
When your tepache has reached your desired level of fermentation, remove the pineapple pieces (I like to use tongs for this) and strain through a fine mesh sieve into clean containers. Store the tepache in the refrigerator for up to 1 year, but consume within 2 weeks if you prefer a sweeter, less yeasty flavor. Serve over ice, with cool water and/or fresh lime juice if desired, mixed with beer, or in co*cktails!
See more recipes for tasty sips here!
