Cocktail Recipes That Include Tepache
Whether you prefer a Cosmo, a Pisco Sour, a Whiskey Sour, or a Mint Julep, we all have our go-to cocktails. While a classic Daiquiri will never go out of style, we've got something new you can throw into your mixing glass.
Tepache is a fantastic drink to enjoy on its own. It has a light, refreshing flavor that elevates any meal. This fermented beverage is also sweeping the cocktail (and mocktail) scene. Even though it shines alone, tepache is also a fantastic ingredient.
You can add tepache into your at-home happy hour to spice up classic drinks. You've got your old reliable vodka, brandy, absinthe, and cognac recipes, but it's never a bad time to add new favorites to your rotation. Or perhaps this list of cocktails that include tepache may just contain your next go-to order at the bar—it's time to retire that gin and tonic.
Tepache’s versatile flavor profile makes it a fantastic addition to your cocktail cabinet. As a mixed drink, tepache lets you enjoy both a refreshing fermented drink alongside old standards.
What Is Tepache?
Tepache is a traditional Mexican drink. It is made from the skins, otherwise called the rinds, of pineapple. Because it is fermented, there are a lot of great health benefits associated with the drink.
The drink is fermented for about a day and then ready to serve. In days of old, tepache was sold by street vendors to weary travelers and locals alike.
Tepache is the perfect fruity refreshment on hot, sun-soaked days. Even so, when paired with different ingredients, tepache makes a great addition to a drink any time of year.
Tepache is quickly becoming a popular ingredient in many high-end cocktails. This fermented gem is a new favorite for bartenders across the country.
Looking to shake up what you put in your pitcher? Look no further than these fantastic tepache infusions. Check out these cocktail recipes that include tepache.
Gilded Youth
This drink is deeply funky and supremely flavorful. The Gilded Youth was popularized in Portland, Oregon.
The bartender who developed the drink actually used a tepache recipe from a barback’s abuela. It doesn’t get much better than an authentic abuela’s tepache.
To make the “Gilded Youth” stock up with the following ingredients:
- 1 of ounce rye (consider Bulleit)
- ¾ ounce blood orange liqueur or orange juice (fresh-squeezed is always first-choice)
- ½ ounce Bonal (Genepy Des Alpes works great)
- ¼ ounce Yellow Chartreuse
- 1½ ounces tepache
- Blood orange wedge (for optional garnish)
Though these ingredients are a little more complex than a usual three-ingredient margarita, the results are worth it. Plus, the process for shaking up the Gilded Youth is relatively simple.
First, combine the rye, blood orange juice, Bonal, and Chartreuse in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir until the mixture is cold. Serve the drink in a cocktail glass of your choice, over ice, and enjoy!
The Tepache Highball
The Highball is a classic cocktail, and you might remember it as a grandfather’s favorite drink. This version gets a fun tepache twist.
This particular cocktail is very popular across Texas. It is a fast-growing favorite in Houston and stands as a fantastic alternative to a regular scotch and soda.
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following:
- 2 ounces of tepache
- 1½ ounces blanco tequila
- 1 teaspoon agave nectar
- Club soda or soda water
- Pineapple wedge for garnish
- Tajín (Optional for serving)
This cocktail is sweet and refreshing. The agave nectar adds a lovely honeyed taste to the fruity cocktail.
This preparation process is very simple, and the garnish allows a lot of room for experimenting. The Tajin adds an authentic Mexican taste to this tepache-centric cocktail.
To mix it up, first combine tepache, tequila, and agave in a glass, preferably a highball glass. Then stir the mixture until the agave is dissolved.
Next, fill up the glass with ice. Crushed ice gives the best texture to this sip, but any ice will do. Pour club soda over the mixture, and now time for the fun. Garnish away!
Stick a sliced pineapple on the corner of the glass and either sprinkle tajin over top or use it to cover the rim of the glass. There you have it, a tepache highball!
Bourbon and Tepache Cocktail
This cocktail wraps up all of the warm, funky, fermented goodness into a smoky bourbon cocktail. It pays homage to the down-home roots of tepache, with a malt essence.
The bourbon and tepache cocktail is relatively straightforward. It's all in the name.
To make this drink, you’ll need the following ingredients.
- 1½ ounces of bourbon
- ¾ ounces tepache
- ½ ounces lemon juice
- ¼ ounce Falernum
- A few dashes of bitter of choice
- Orange twist (optional for garnish)
Step one in the process is to combine the bourbon, tepache, lemon juice, and Falernum in a cocktail shaker. Shake up the mixture in a cocktail shaker for about 30 seconds, at least until the outside of the ice-filled shaker gets frosty.
Next, strain the bourbon and tepache combo into a glass over ice. Toss in a few bitters and top with an orange twist to garnish.
This cocktail has a warm, powerful flavor and looks great at the table! Serve gladly in a rocks glass and enjoy.
El Coco
This drink takes the flavors of the ever-beloved Piña Colada and throws in a tepache twist. Whether you're drinking in Manhattan or Los Angeles, you'll be immediately transported to Bermuda. It also adds some much-appreciated coconut sweetness to our list of otherwise more sour-leaning recipes.
A major draw to this drink is the subtlety of the coconutty sweetness. The sweet coconut has a light enough dynamic to allow the notes in the tepache to really shine through.
To make this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- 1½ ounces blanco tequila
- 1½ ounces tepache
- ¾ ounces cream of coconut
- ½ ounce Yellow Chartreuse
- A few dashes of bitters
The preparation of the drink requests that you first combine tequila, tepache, cream of coconut, and the Yellow Chartreuse into a cocktail shaker. Stir or shake ingredients together, but do not add ice.
Pour the mixture into glass over ice. Crushed ice is optimal. Top the concoction with several dashes of bitters and enjoy!
Since this drink has a Piña Colada vibe, you can also top it with a skewered maraschino cherry and pineapple combo, add a dash of pineapple juice, or stick lime wheels on the rim.
Never Too Much Tepache
These cocktails are all delicious in their own right. Whether you prefer berries or a lemon twist, they combine flavors in tasty, innovative ways. These recipes don't need simple syrup or a sugar cube to be craveable. Just pour them over some fresh ice in a chilled martini glass, and enjoy.
What’s even more impressive is that these drinks not only balance the flavor of the tepache with the spirits it’s mixed with but emphasize the flavors in the tepache.
Tepache is a delicious drink on its own. It has swept the cocktail scene so swiftly, thanks to its versatility and great taste. Looking to try tepache sans the added ingredients? We’ve got you covered.
Tepache comes in a variety of different flavors. Plus, if you brew your own batch, the flavors and sweetness are all up to you! You can make a tepache-based drink with olive, mint leaves, lime juice, or even a few oz ginger beer—the possibilities are endless. You could even try a tepache-based Martinez-style Old Tom Collins if you want to shake it up. Add a few oz gin or oz rye whiskey, and party like it's the end of Prohibition!
However you enjoy these cocktails, do so with family, loved ones, or even a neighbor. These drinks are sure to bring people together.
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