This isn’t a beer in the traditional sense.  It’s a lightly fizzy, sweet, fermented pineapple drink.  My great-grandfather used to make it. You can find variations of it all over the world.  In Mexico it’s called tepache.  My husband says they carried vats of it on board when he sailed around French Polynesia.  The crew called it pineapple wine.

I’ve got pineapples and I like fermenting stuff, so I decided to try it.  It’s actually a very refreshing drink, and it’s not at all strong.  It reminds me of kombucha, but more flavorful.  I’m looking forward to another ripe pineapple so I can make it again.

If you cut the top off your pineapple to re-plant it, eat the fruit, and use the peels to make this beer, not a single bit of that pineapple goes to waste.

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Pineapple Beer

Ingredients:

• sliced peel from one pineapple
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 cups water

Directions: Mix the sugar and water in a wide-mouth, half-gallon mason jar or a glass pitcher.  Rinse the peels and add them to the jar.  Put a lid on the mason jar fitted with an airlock (you can buy them at this Etsy shop) or use a regular lid.  If using a pitcher, cover it with plastic wrap.  Let it sit at room temperature for 3-7 days.

Check it each day, and if you’re using a regular lid, open it to release any pressure.  You’ll know it’s ready when you see small bubbles rising to the surface and some sticking to the side of the glass.  Give it a taste test.  When it’s ready it will be fizzy and sweet.  Don’t wait too long or it will turn to vinegar.

Once it’s ready, strain into jars or bottles and refrigerate.   Serve it cold.  Add ice and seltzer if you like.  Garnish with a lime or a sprinkle of cinnamon.