Reducing food waste to create a refreshing and fruity cocktail? No whey!

Picture this: it’s a warm day, the sun is shining, and you are in the kitchen prepping snacks and drinks for the weekend. You have a fresh pineapple ready to be cut into refreshing chunks to snack on and fresh limes perfect for juicing right in front of you.

Now, you could just take just what you need of the ingredients and throw the scraps away, but in the spirit of reducing food waste and making great cocktails, let’s turn it into a no-cook syrup! 

This recipe comes from the iconic High Proof Preacher, who creates stunning cocktail content and recipes that you can recreate at home. When he posted this cocktail syrup upcycling food scraps, it was a match made in pineapple heaven for our upcycled spirit. 

This Pineapple Demerara syrup is delicious, incredibly easy to make, and perfect for a zero-waste Wheyward Spirit cocktail. Find the recipes below and tag us @WheywardSpirit on social media to show us your creations!

Pineapple Demerara Syrup

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple
• 2 fresh limes
• About 1 cup demerara sugar

Equipment

• Large jar or container
• Fine mesh strainer

1. Cut skin off the pineapple and remove the core. Place scraps into the container and enjoy the rest of the fruit. Peel strips of lime zest, and place the strips into the container with pineapple. Set aside the rest of the limes for fresh lime juice in your cocktail.

2. Cover scraps with demerara sugar, mix, cover, and let sit at room temperature for up to 8 hours, stirring or shaking occasionally, until all the sugar is dissolved.

3. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain out the syrup into another container. Press the pineapple chucks gently to get remaining syrup.

4. Add a splash of Wheyward Spirit to extend shelf-life and store in a closed container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. 

Makes about 5 oz of syrup when complete. Recipe can easily be scaled up to create more. Compost remaining fruit scraps.

Pineapple Demerara Syrup Cocktails

This syrup adds the perfect fruity, tropical flair to some of our favorite cocktails like the

• Daiquiri: Our four-ingredient daiquiri is a flavorful and bespoke twist on the classic cocktail with the addition of Falernum, a liqueur with a Caribbean flair.

• ‍Waste Not Sour: The Waste Not Sour reflects our values of upcycling and reducing food waste whenever possible by using aquafaba in place of egg whites, and zesting lemon for garnish before using the fresh juice.

• ‍Toucan Tango: Light and refreshing fruit juices pair perfectly with our smooth spirit, all topped off with a bold rum float.

• ‍Tropical Rickey: Flavors of lime, pineapple, and coconut combine to create a refreshing drink, perfect for the beach or a warm summer day at home.

‍‍Simply substitute the standard simple syrup in these recipes for equal amounts of the Pineapple Lime Demerara Syrup for an elevated flavor.

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