The world’s best summertime drink relies on nature’s magic

The main ingredient in the best warm-weather drink ever invented is detritus. Usually the tough core and peel of a pineapple go on the compost heap while the flesh is eaten. But if they are submerged in sugared water, perhaps with a cinnamon stick and a few whole cloves, and left at room temperature, the result is tepache, which has been made in Mexico for centuries. Like most wild ferments—meaning products that rely on naturally occurring rather than lab-created microbes—its creation is both simple and complex.