Seems kind of unbelievable, but I recently came back from my first trip to Mexico. We took a family vacation to Puerto Vallarta and it was a pretty great trip. One of the highlights for me was stopping by Tepatli MX, a new Tepache stand in the Zona Romántica. This Tepachería serves a few different varieties of traditional tepache and I was able to sample everything while learning a bit about the history of tepache in Mexico.

A made a video of my tepache tasting above

I’ve written about drinks similar to tepache before. Kvass comes to mind, but kombucha, and other lightly fermented beverages all have strong cultural connections to where they were created. Tepache is a pre-Colombian drink native to Mexico that was historically made by fermenting maiz, but over time the use of pineapple skins became a bit more common. It also ferments significantly faster. The non-alcoholic varieties are typically only fermented for 3-4 days, while a stronger alcoholic version could be fermented for 15+.

Tepache definitely tastes like a fermented beverage, but in addition to that distinctive vinegary tang, it’s also layered with complex notes of sweet pineapple and various warming spices. Victor, the founder of Tepatli (the tepache stand) told me that he uses 10 different spices in his version. The most prominent of those are cinnamon, clove, and star anise. These were all really pronounced in the original flavor, but somewhat masked in the guava and tamarind varieties that I tried later. I liked the extra fruitiness and tartness in those flavors, but the original really shines on its own. Victor’s grandma used to make tepache in his family, and her passing last year provided Victor with the inspiration to start the tepache stand in her honor.

I’m not sure that the flavor of authentic tepache will be for everyone. Actually, I’m sure of it, because my kids really didn’t like it. The vinegar-like bite was just a bit too strong for them. Victor can customize your drink a bit if you want it sweeter, or less potent. He also lets you keep the clay mug that he serves the drinks in and will give you a discount if you reuse it on a future visit.

Something I didn’t try while I was down there but really want to experiment with is using tepache for the base of a piña colada. I’ve seen a few recipes for people doing this on the internet, but I think that the tepache would add such an interesting flavor to the cocktail/mocktail that you just can’t get with pineapple juice alone.

When I visited in January 2026 the tepache stand was located in front of the Hostal Kualena and was open Wednesday through Saturday from 1pm to 6pm. I’d love to hear what you think of the tepache if you’re able to visit!