That which comes from Mother Earth is designed to be versatile, serving a multitude of uses, which is why Discarded Spirits Company have turned their attention to banana skins and created Discarded Banana Peel Rum.

The drinks company has used banana peel, an “overlooked ingredient” that is usually binned, to create the new “fruit-forward” rum.

The banana peel is sourced from a flavour house that uses the fruit but throws away the skins. The peel is recovered to dry out and ferment, before being steeped in alcohol for two weeks to enable “maximum flavour”. Discarded uses ex-whisky casks for final maturation.

After extraction, the banana peel is said to provide a “fresh toffee note with a fruity balance, whilst maintaining the spice and sweetness foundation” from the Caribbean rum.

With a taste described as “liquid banana bread”, Discarded Banana Peel Rum can be served neat over ice, in a long apéritif, mixed with ginger ale, or used in rum-based cocktails like a Daiquiri.

The Discarded Banana Peel Rum is one of three products from Discarded, which launched in 2018 with its Discarded Sweet Cascara Vermouth. The vermouth is infused with cascara, the outer fruit of the coffee berry and a waste product in coffee production.

Another product from the drinks company’s line is the Discarded Grape Skin Vodka, which is made using waste products from the wine-making process including the skins, stems and seeds (also known as the pomace).

Discarded

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living