You think of wine and the image of rolling hills and sun-soaked grapes comes to mind, but there’s a whole other type of wine out there made from an unsuspecting fruit — bananas. This type of wine takes the frugality of ripening fruits and transforms them into a drink that can last for a decent amount of time. Better yet? It doesn’t require a fancy distillery and can be made at home.
Banana wine is a part of a category called country wine, which was alcohol distilled in rural parts of America. This wine is also prominent in other regions like South America, the Philippines, and Africa’s east coast.
Wine is more straightforward, a mixture of grapes and fermented yeast, however banana wine and other country wines have added sugar to raise the ABV (alcohol by volume). Raisins are also added and help develop viscosity and body, allowing the sweet flavors to linger on the tongue for a longer time. Black tea frequently appears in country wine, as the tea helps develops tannins in the wine.
This was an easy way to utilize fruit, create a drinkable beverage, and have something that had a long shelf life. Though bananas were exotic in some parts of America, once they were accessible during the 20th century, people incorporated this fruit into their country wine repertoire.
Many note that banana wine tastes like a Chardonnay or a slightly bolder white wine. Its pleasant banana flavor is complex, thanks to the additions of brown sugar, raisins, and tea.
If you want to make your version of this wine, follow the instructions in this video.