Name: Foolproof Pineapple Tepache (Step-By-Step)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 1445 min
Ingredients: 1 ripe pineapple; 1 cup light brown sugar (200 g, or 1 large cone piloncillo); 8 cups water (1.9 L); Optional: 2 thumbs sliced fresh ginger, ½ red chili, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves

How To Make Pineapple Tepache

By Sarah Bond, BS Nutrition, MS Sensory Science, Updated Feb 22, 2025

4.91 from 40 ratings

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1 day 5 minutes

Serves 8 cups

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This foolproof guide will teach you how to make pineapple tepache, a fizzy fermented Mexican drink made from just 3 ingredients!

Pouring tepache into a tall glass with ice

This pineapple tepache is the result of countless test batches and fine-tuning—and trust me, this is the only recipe you need!

Here’s how it works: Yeast lives virtually everywhere, and it can be harnessed to make tasty things! Yeast on flour makes sourdough, yeast on tea makes kombucha, and yeast on pineapple skin makes…tepache!

Simply feed it what it loves (sugar) to create both flavor and carbonation. Once brewed, tepache ranges from cider-like and sweet to more yeasty-like. Basically, the result is a delicious fermented pineapple drink that falls somewhere between soda, kombucha, and beer.

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★★★★★

“My first batch of tepache was so easy and so good!” —Cynthia

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Step by step collage of how to make tepache — To homebrew tepache, simply ferment pineapple peels, sugar, and water in a jar for a few days, letting the natural yeast create flavor and carbonation. Strain, chill, and enjoy a refreshingly fizzy, lightly tangy pineapple drink!

Tepache in a glass with a red striped straw and pineapple

Tepache Ingredients

Jump to the recipe card for all the measurements. This is just an overview!

Pineapple Peel: Since we’re using the peel, aim for an organic pineapple. Pineapples are a pesticide-intensive crop, and you don’t want that in your tepache!
Sugar: Use either piloncillo (the traditional Mexican sugar) or light brown sugar.
Water: No need to overcomplicate things – tap water is just fine here!

Tepache Contains Alcohol

Tepache has an alcohol content of about 2% ABV, though this can be less if you let it ferment for a shorter time or more if you let it go longer or are in a warmer climate.

Pineapple rinds in tepache with bubbles on top — Taste test by drawing some out with a paper straw, using your finger to keep the tepache in the straw. The reaction will go more quickly in a warm environment and will slow down when it is cooler, so begin tasting after 24 hours up to 72 hours.

Carbonation bubbles in a second fermentation bottle — By bottling the tepache in an airtight container, all the CO₂ released by the yeast is trapped in the liquid, creating that fizzy, beer-like texture.

Smiling woman holding two glass bottles filled with orange tepache, standing indoors with shelves and jars in the background.

Watch The Pressure

Please note that carbonating tepache does involve pressure buildup inside the bottles, which is why I recommend bottles specifically made for fermentation. As with any second fermentation, there is a risk of bottles exploding, so check on your bottles regularly and move them to the refrigerator when done.

Flavor Variations

Since pineapple tepache is so unbelievably versatile, you can make it your own by adding more flavors to the brew! Here are some ideas:

To the first fermentation, add 2 thumbs of fresh sliced ginger (highly recommend), whole cloves, cinnamon sticks, chilis, pineapple flesh, or even diced mango. Just be sure all ingredients are fully submerged to prevent mold.

To the second fermentation, you can add virtually any fruit juice or fruit puree. Get some ideas from our kombucha flavors!

Why isn’t my tepache bubbling?

If your tepache isn’t bubbly, it is likely because the yeast isn’t working well. This could be because you washed or submerged the pineapple in hot water (which would kill the yeast) or because your pineapple wasn’t ripe enough (meaning there wasn’t much yeast on it to begin with). If your tepache does not bubble in the first fermentation, consider starting over. If it did bubble in the first but not in the second fermentation, add a little sugar or juice to the bottles to give the yeast something to eat.

Pineapple rind, ginger, and chili in a glass jar with tepache

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Foolproof Pineapple Tepache (Step-By-Step)

4.91 from 40 ratings

By: Sarah Bond

Prep: 5

Fermentation: 1

Total: 1 5

Servings: cups

Learn how to make pineapple tepache, a fizzy fermented Mexican drink, with just 3 ingredients! This foolproof guide is backed by years of brewing know-how.

Ingredients

▢ 1 ripe pineapple
▢ 1 cup light brown sugar, 200 g, or 1 large cone piloncillo
▢ 8 cups water, 1.9 L
▢ Optional: 2 thumbs sliced fresh ginger, ½ red chili, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 whole cloves

Instructions

Cut: Remove the crown and base of the pineapple, then rinse the body of the pineapple with cool tap water to remove potential pests or dirt. Cut the peel from the pineapple in big chunks, leaving about ½ inch of the pineapple flesh on the peel.
Assemble: Add sugar (or piloncillo) and 1 cup of the water to a clean, large glass or ceramic jar, stirring well to dissolve sugar. Add optional flavors and cover with pineapple rinds, then add remaining water. Submerge all ingredients in the liquid to prevent mold by weighing it down using either a glass, ladle spoon, or fermentation weight.
Ferment: Cover with a clean dish towel or a few layers of paper towels, then secure with a rubber band. Set somewhere dark and room temperature (ideally 75-80°F, 24-26°C), letting it ferment for 1 to 3 days.
Drink or Bottle: The tepache is finished when you see many small bubbles on top and it tastes how you want it to (test by drawing some out with a paper straw, using your finger to keep the tepache in the straw). Either refrigerate and drink the tepache as is, or carbonate it in the second fermentation.
Second Fermentation (Optional): Funnel the liquid into fermentation-grade bottles, leaving about 2 inches free at the top of each bottle. Set somewhere room temperature and dark, then allow it to ferment for another 1 to 3 days. After 24 hours, pop open a bottle to see how carbonated it has become and to gauge how much longer they will need. When the tepache has reached a carbonation level that you like, transfer the bottles to the refrigerator to stop the fermentation.

Notes

Reuse the pineapple peels for another 1 or 2 rounds after your initial fermentation. There is still plenty of yeast on them!

Blast zone: Carbonating tepache in the second fermentation involves pressure buildup inside the bottles, which is why I recommend bottles specifically made for fermentation. As with any second fermentation, there is a risk of bottles exploding, so check on your bottles regularly and move them to the refrigerator when done.

Store the finished tepache in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a year. As with most fermentations, tepache will last virtually forever due to the acidity. Over time the flavors will continue to develop towards yeasty, but a properly made tepache will last for a long, long time!