How to Make Cascara Cold Brew (Plus 6 Refresher Recipes)
Cold brewing cascara is the easiest way to drink it
If you've never made cascara cold brew, you're about to discover the lowest-effort, highest-reward drink in your kitchen. No kettle, no timer, no technique. You put cascara in water, put it in the fridge, and go to bed. That's it.
Cascara (dried coffee cherry husks) brews into something that tastes nothing like coffee. It's light, naturally sweet, fruity. Think hibiscus meets cherry meets tamarind, with about a quarter of the caffeine in a regular cup of coffee. Cold brewing pulls out the sweetness and rounds off any tannins, so you get a clean, smooth base you can drink straight or mix into just about anything.
The basic cold brew method
This is your starting point. Get this right and every recipe below becomes easy.
What you need:
- 25-30g cascara (about 3 tablespoons)
- 2 cups cold filtered water
- A jar or pitcher with a lid
- A fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth
What you do:
- Add cascara to your jar. Pour cold water over it.
- Stir once to make sure everything is submerged.
- Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Longer steep = stronger flavor.
- Strain out the husks. Drink it straight over ice or use it as a base for the recipes below.
The cold brew keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make a big batch on Sunday and you're set for the week.
Cascara cold brew concentrate
Same method, double the cascara. Use 50-60g (about 6 tablespoons) per 2 cups of water. Steep 18-24 hours.
This gives you a stronger base that you can dilute to taste. It's what you want if you're mixing cascara into other drinks, because adding ice, soda water, or juice will water it down. Starting with concentrate means the cascara flavor actually comes through in the final drink.
Use a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of concentrate to whatever you're mixing it with, and adjust from there.
Cascara lemonade
This is the one that converts people. If someone tells you they don't like tea, hand them this.
What you need:
- 1 cup cascara cold brew concentrate
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 cup sparkling water
- 1-2 teaspoons honey (or agave)
- Ice
What you do:
- Mix the cold brew concentrate with lemon juice and honey. Stir until the honey dissolves.
- Pour over ice in a tall glass.
- Top with sparkling water. Stir gently.
The cascara's natural cherry and tamarind notes play off the lemon in a way that regular lemonade can't touch. Adjust the honey to your sweetness preference. Some people skip it entirely because the cascara brings enough natural sweetness on its own.
Cascara sparkling soda
The simplest mixed drink you can make. Three ingredients, two minutes.
What you need:
- 2 oz cascara simple syrup (recipe below)
- 8 oz cold soda water
- Ice
For the cascara simple syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, and 1/2 cup cascara in a saucepan. Heat until the sugar dissolves, then let it steep for 20 minutes off heat. Strain. Keeps in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Pour the syrup over ice, top with soda water, stir once. You just made a craft soda that tastes better than anything in a can.
Cascara ginger tonic
For people who like drinks with some bite.
What you need:
- 4 oz cascara cold brew
- 4 oz tonic water
- 1 oz fresh ginger syrup (or muddle 3-4 thin slices of fresh ginger)
- Squeeze of lime
- Ice
What you do:
- If using fresh ginger, muddle it in the bottom of your glass.
- Add ice, pour in the cold brew and ginger syrup.
- Top with tonic. Squeeze lime over the top.
The quinine in the tonic pairs with cascara's tannins in a way that just works. The ginger adds heat. The lime ties it together. This one feels like a cocktail even though there's no alcohol in it.
Cascara iced tea with mint
The afternoon drink. Low caffeine, light, and you can make a pitcher for the whole house.
What you need:
- 2 cups cascara cold brew
- 8-10 fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon agave or honey
- Ice
What you do:
- Gently muddle the mint leaves with the sweetener in the bottom of a pitcher or glass.
- Add the cold brew and stir.
- Pour over ice.
That's it. The mint brightens up the cascara's fruit notes without covering them. Good for hot afternoons when you want something refreshing but don't need the caffeine hit of another coffee.
Cascara mango smoothie
This is breakfast. Or a post-workout drink. Or both.
What you need:
- 1 cup cascara cold brew
- 1 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
What you do:
- Blend everything until smooth.
The cascara adds a fruity, tea-like depth that regular water or juice doesn't. The mango and cascara are a natural pairing because they share tropical flavor compounds. The banana thickens it. The coconut milk makes it creamy without dairy.
Swap the mango for frozen mixed berries or pineapple and it works just as well.
Start with the cold brew
Every recipe on this page starts with the same base. Make a batch of cascara cold brew, keep it in your fridge, and experiment from there. The beauty of cascara is that it's forgiving. It plays well with citrus, ginger, mint, tropical fruit, sparkling water, and sweeteners of all kinds.
Pick up cascara at buddhabeanscoffee.com and start brewing tonight.
Cascara is the dried fruit of the coffee cherry (Coffea), sold as a food and herbal beverage, not as a dietary supplement or drug. It naturally contains caffeine, about 25mg per cup. It is not cascara sagrada, an unrelated plant sold as a laxative. Nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing, or sensitive to caffeine, check with your healthcare provider.
