Tepache Mojito

In case you didn’t know, I already have a “ginger-bug” mojito mixer recipe on this site. The original idea was to combine the wort (the sweetened liquid) with a ginger bug starter culture to produce a lime-mint soda which could also double as a mojito mixer. It’s really delicious on its own or as a mixer.

Recently I was thinking about all the folks who no doubt would like to get into fermenting their own drinks but maybe don’t have the space, time or level of interest in maintaining a starter culture like a SCOBY (for Kombucha), water kefir grains or ginger bug (my normal go-to starter culture).

If you’re here, you may already know that pineapple skins contain colonies of natural yeasts which will initiate fermentation and, at minimum, mildly carbonate a wort.

If you want to make your own mojito mixer – or just a delicious probiotic lime-mint soda – with a pineapple twist to it, you’ve come to the right place.

You will need: Half gallon jar, knife and cutting board, medium cooking pot, mesh strainer, wooden spoon, measuring cups

Optional for bottling: 32 oz. flip-top bottle, bottling funnel, mesh strainer

Ingredients:

• Skins of 1 whole pineapple (note an organic pineapple typically produces a fizzier drink)
• 3.5 cups filtered or distilled water
• 1/2 cup lime juice (2-3 large limes is normally sufficient)
• 1/2 cup sugar (or use the more traditional piloncillo – 4 of these little pyramids)
• ~15-25g mint leaves (no thick stems)
• For a mojito: wedge of lime, fresh sprig of mint, and silver rum

Directions:

1.) In a pot, combine the water, lime juice, sugar and mint leaves.

2.) Bring to a boil, give a good stir with a wooden spoon, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to come to room temperature. (This liquid is known as the wort.)

3.) Meanwhile, cut up the pineapple skins so they can fit inside a widemouth jar.

4.) Using the mesh strainer, transfer the cooled mint-lime wort to the half gallon jar. Then add as many pieces of pineapple skin you can fit until the water level is to the shoulder of the jar. It is okay if some of the skins are above the water level. Cover with an aerated lid, or you may instead use plastic wrap with a few small fork holes or a paper towel with rubber-band. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2-3 days, out of direct sunlight.

5.) After the allotted time, you may strain out the liquid and transfer into a 32-oz. bottle using a bottling funnel. (Alternately, you may choose to keep the liquid in the jar. In this case, use a fork or tongs and remove all the pineapple skins.)

Once bottled, allow to sit at room temperature for 1-3 more days. (The longer the wait, normally the fizzier the drink; however, this process is also eating up the available sugars so a very long wait produces both a more carbonated and sour drink).

6.) After the allotted time, place the bottle or jar into the refrigerator until cold. Then it’s ready to drink straight, or use as a mojito mixer.

As a mixer: fill a glass with ice, add 2 oz. white rum and 4-6 oz. of the tepache mixer. (Modify for a weaker or stronger drink as preferred.) You can garnish with a fresh mint sprig or two (muddled) and/or lime slice.

Sugar is normally added to a mojito but it’s already in your mixer so more sugar isn’t needed. But you can consider making a sugar/lime rim. Do this at the beginning by cutting a line into a lime slice, place it on the glass rim and rub it around, then turn the glass upside down and place it on a plate of sugar. The lime juice on the rim will make the sugar stick.