Bananas are a staple at the smoothie bar, but not so common at the neighborhood pub. Yes, there are some cocktails that call for a dash of banana liqueur and some blended drinks include the yellow fruit, but the banana is largely absent from the Western alcoholic beverage.
Our experience does not mean bananas and alcohol do not mix. On the contrary, much of central and eastern Africa uses bananas in beer such as Kenyan urwaga or Ugandan mubisi. There is a more refined version considered a banana wine. Finally, the banana can be transformed into the strongest of spirits. This is how you can make banana brandy.
Overripe bananas are best for two reasons. First, they are cheaper. Second, the ripeness indicated that more basic sugars are available for fermentation in the fruit. It is for this reason that many Ugandan banana beer makers cover their fruit in tarps to artificially ripen them.
In the States, our local grocery store offered overripe bananas crammed into plastic tote bags at 39 cents a pound. We bought 7 of these totes which amounted to 30 pounds (peels included) and spent less than $15. These would become the base for a delicious and spirituous brandy or eau de vie.
Ingredients:
30 lbs banana
1 lb brown sugar
4 lbs cane sugar
Water
Citric Acid
2 carboy fermenters and airlocks
Purchase 30 pounds of overripe bananas.
The goal is to make a mash with as high a sugar content as possible. Split the bananas into 3 groups: about 15 pounds worth are blended as is, another 10 pounds are baked with the peel on, and the final 5 pounds are sliced and sautéed in a small amount of butter and plenty of brown sugar.
To blend the 15 pounds, peel the bananas and put as many in a blender as fit at one time. Blend and dump in a large pot until all 15 pounds have been peeled and liquified. Discard the peels.
To bake the 10 pounds, do not peel the bananas. Remove stickers. Line up bananas on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake at 350° Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until the peels turn black. They will have a shiny gloss to them and look inedible. After the bananas cool, pinch open the peels and let collect the fruit in a bowl. The fruit will appear like otherworldly larvae plopping down into the sugary cesspool of gooey banana residue. Mash any remaining solids and add to the pot of blended bananas.
To sauté the final 5 pounds, slice the bananas. Butter a large pan and add some brown sugar. Add bananas and cook for 10-15 minutes, adding as much brown sugar as will dissolve in the pot. The mixture should smell like a dessert. Mash and add to the pot of blended bananas.
In order to pump up the sugar content of the mash, make a quick simple syrup. Boil 2.5 gallons of water, and slowly mix in 4 pounds of cane sugar until dissolved. Add several drops of citric acid. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, pour the hot syrup into the banana mash and immediately add cold water up to 7 gallons in volume. A foam will form, let it settle. Mix the pot.
For 7 gallons or more of mash, it is safest to use 2 large carboys. Pour half of the banana mash into each, ensuring that there are equivalent amounts of solids. It is important that there is sufficient headspace above the mash, as a large and effervescent fruit head will form during fermentation. Pitch equal amounts of a yeast of your choice in both fermenters and mix. Close with an airlock.
Ferment the mash for several weeks until activity dies down and the fruit head has precipitated down to the bottom of the carboy. Our fermentation took over a month. A week or so prior to distillation, pour the contents of the fermenter through cheesecloth. There will be a lot of solids. Massage the cheese cloth as if milking a cow or spanking a giant gelatinous liver. The fermented liquid should be opaque yellow and refreshingly sour with a hint of banana. The solids can be discarded or composted–they have an unbecoming texture.
Distillation time! The brandy is about flavor. This mash should be pot stilled, not reflux stilled. Fill your still with an appropriate amount of the fermented banana mash. Take regular cuts and be wary of clarity. Our run became cloudy below 50-45% abv for some reason. There must have been solvents that were not soluble at this concentration. The liquor will be strong and have a baked banana finish.
Distill again! But be careful. The second distillation may strip some of the desirable banana flavors. Assess the need to run a second distillation prior to making the commitment. If the spirit is clean and tasty–perhaps let it age as is. If you have cloudiness and want a cleaner spirit, distill it again.
Age, infuse, and enjoy. We plan on infusing some with vanilla bean at over 50% abv. Try whatever fruity combination you think will taste good. The banana flavor is dark, sweet, and reminiscent of a dense banana bread.
Bananas are not the most common substrate for fermentation, but they present a relatively affordable and delicious option. Some studies indicate the fermentations can include the entire peel of bananas. For a fruit that is only exported in its best quality, banana brandy could be a sustainable way to repurpose rejected fruits in countries like Brazil or India. While the consumer taste for banana brandy may not be well developed, we can at least enjoy the craft spirit in our own homes.
De Matos, Mara Eli, et al. “Production and characterization of a distilled alcoholic beverage obtained by fermentation of banana waste (Musa cavendishii) from Selected yeast.” Fermentation 3.4 (2017): 62.
Recipe based on StillIt Youtube channel.
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