Cascara cold brew is one of those drinks that catches you out on the first sip. It is made from the fruit of the coffee tree, yet it tastes nothing like black coffee. Light, naturally fruity and gently tart, it makes a very good cold drink on a warm day.
Cascara has been known in specialty coffee for years, but it is still a fairly rare product in Poland. So it is worth setting out what it actually is, where it comes from, and why brewing it cold gives something completely different from an infusion of roasted beans.
What is cascara?
The coffee beans you see in a roastery or a café are really the seeds of a fruit. Each one grows inside a small cherry-like fruit. When the cherries ripen they are picked and processed to separate the seeds from the skin and the pulp.
That dried skin and pulp is cascara. The name comes from Spanish, where cáscara means skin, husk or shell.
So cascara is not a coffee variety and it is not a tea. It is a separate raw material from the same plant as coffee, and it opens up a different part of its flavour. Instead of the notes of roasted beans you get a light infusion with a clearly fruity profile.
Where cascara comes from
Cascara is produced on the farm while the picked cherries are being processed. Once the seeds are separated, the remaining skin and pulp are dried carefully. How well that drying goes has a large effect on the quality, aroma and cleanliness of the finished infusion.
Well made cascara can look like dried cherries or raisins. Its flavour depends on the country of origin, the botanical variety of the coffee tree, the altitude, how ripe the fruit was and the processing method.
Using cascara also makes better use of the fruit. One harvest then yields not only green coffee for roasting but a second aromatic raw material with a drink of its own.
How cascara cold brew differs from ordinary cold brew
Ordinary cold brew is made from ground, roasted coffee left in cold water for many hours. Cascara cold brew works the same way, but with dried coffee cherry instead of ground coffee.
That one difference changes the drink completely. Traditional cold brew keeps the flavour of coffee, its body and the notes that come from origin and roast. Cascara cold brew is far lighter and reads more like a fruit infusion or a delicate tea.
Brewing cold releases the aromatics from the cascara slowly. The longer steep gives natural sweetness, pleasant acidity and a clean profile. The finished infusion is then chilled and can be served over ice.
What does cascara cold brew taste like?
The taste varies with where the cascara comes from and how it was dried. Most often you find dried fruit, cherry, cranberry, raisin, hibiscus, rosehip or a light citrus edge.
Cascara cold brew is light, fresh and naturally fruity. There is none of the heavy bitterness of a dark roast. It puts gentle sweetness next to pleasant acidity, which makes it work even for people who do not drink black coffee.
Cascara does not taste like coffee, but it does contain caffeine naturally, because it comes from the coffee fruit. That makes it an interesting alternative both to cold brew and to iced tea and the usual summer drinks.
Cold brewing keeps the lightness and the fruit character intact. Chilled, the infusion is expressive without being heavy. It suits a hot day, a walk by the sea, or any moment when you want something other than another coffee with milk.
It is a drink that shows the coffee plant from a side most people never meet. Instead of the roasted bean, the fruit itself is in front: its natural sweetness, its acidity and its aroma.
From the Colbergcoffee roastery
You have met the coffee fruit. Now try the seed. Pick a freshly roasted coffee to match the way you brew at home:
Roasted twice a week in Kołobrzeg, on the Polish Baltic coast.
Cold Cascara on the summer menu at Colbergcoffee
This summer we are putting Cold Cascara on the menu at our café as a limited seasonal drink.
It will be available for a short time only. If you like finding new flavours, or you want something light for the summer, come to Colbergcoffee and try it before it comes off the menu.
FAQ: cascara cold brew
What is cascara cold brew?
Cascara cold brew is a cold-steeped infusion of the dried skin and pulp of coffee cherries. It is light, naturally fruity and closer to a delicate tea than to black coffee.
Where does cascara come from?
Cascara is a by-product of processing coffee cherries. Once the seeds are separated, the remaining skin and pulp are dried carefully and then used for hot or cold infusions.
What does cascara cold brew taste like?
Light, sweet and tart, with a fruit character. Depending on the origin you may find cherry, cranberry, raisin, hibiscus, rosehip or gentle citrus.
How is it different from ordinary cold brew?
Ordinary cold brew is made from ground, roasted coffee. Cascara cold brew is made from dried coffee fruit, so it is lighter, fruitier and has none of the flavour of black coffee.
Does cascara cold brew contain caffeine?
Yes. Cascara contains caffeine naturally, because it comes from the coffee fruit. The exact amount varies with the raw material, the ratio and the steeping time.
