When you crack open a can of our cascara-based energy drink, you’re not just sipping a refreshing beverage — you’re tasting the story of a coffee fruit’s entire journey: from sun-drenched farms to a carefully brewed, ready-to-drink can. Cascara — the humble coffee cherry husk — is more than a byproduct: it’s a testament to sustainability, flavor, and craftsmanship.
From Cherry to Husk: Harvest & Processing
At the heart of cascara is the modest coffee cherry. Inside that fruit you’ll find the coffee bean — traditionally roasted to make coffee — but outside the bean lies the skin, pulp, husk, and outer layers. Normally, when coffee producers harvest the cherries, they separate the beans (the part destined for roasting) and discard the rest — the cherry husks and pulp.
Historically, this outer part of the coffee fruit was treated as waste — sometimes composted or used as fertilizer. But over time, producers realized this “waste” had hidden potential. The dried husks could be brewed into a tea-like drink — a tradition that goes back centuries in regions like Yemen and Ethiopia (where similar drinks were once common).
With increasing interest from specialty coffee shops and conscious consumers, many coffee farmers began to treat cascara not as discard, but as a secondary crop. This transforms what might have been environmental waste into an opportunity — a new source of income, and a sustainable alternative to simply composting or discarding.
Cleaning & Drying: Turning Fruit into Cascara
After harvest, and after beans are removed, processors collect the leftover cherry skins and pulp. To prepare cascara for beverage production, these husks are carefully cleaned — often washed to remove residual dirt and pulp — and sometimes pasteurized or heat-treated to ensure safety.
Once cleaned, the husks go through the drying process. This is a critical step for both flavor development and shelf stability. Many farms sun-dry cascara on raised drying beds, where the cherries slowly dry out over days or weeks. In some climates or for commercial-scale consistency, mechanical dehydrators are used instead — especially where weather or humidity makes sun-drying difficult.
As the cherries dry, their sugars concentrate, and the husks transform, developing flavors and aromas distinct from coffee. The dried cascara often ends up with a woody, raisin- or dried-fruit–like appearance — a far cry from roasted coffee beans.
After drying, the cascara is sorted and packed, ready for shipment — either to roasters, beverage producers, or directly to consumers.
Brewing: Giving Cascara Its Flavor
Once cascara reaches its destination — be that a café, a beverage brand, or your kitchen — the magic of brewing begins. Cascara is often described as tasting nothing like coffee. Instead, it offers a unique flavor profile: fruity, floral or sweet — sometimes with hints of raisin, red fruit, or hibiscus-like tartness.
Because cascara isn’t coffee beans, brewing doesn’t require roasting. Instead, the dried husks are simply steeped in hot (or cold) water — much like tea. Typical brewing guidelines call for a few tablespoons (or 5–7 grams) of cascara per 8 oz cup of water. Hot brews might steep for 4–7 minutes; cold brew or iced variations might steep for many hours (even overnight) to extract maximum flavor and sweetness.
Some producers opt to build on cascara’s natural flavor, adding carbonation, subtle sweeteners, or lightly flavored acids — transforming the simple infusion into sparkling beverages, iced teas, or ready-to-drink blends. For a cascara-based energy drink, this is where cascara’s journey becomes part of a modern beverage, offering a complex taste, mild natural caffeine, and a different drinking experience than coffee or soda.
Canning & Crafting the Final Product: From Brew to Can
At this stage, a beverage brand like yours steps in. The dried cascara — now cleaned, dried, and transported — is brewed under controlled conditions, often with precise water temperature, infusion time, and strain/filter methods to ensure consistent flavor and safety.
Once brewed, the liquid is cooled, filtered, and sometimes blended or carbonated, depending on the product vision (e.g., sparkling energy drink, still tea, flavored fizzy drink). Natural ingredients — like spring water, cane sugar or other light sweeteners, acidifiers (for stability), and perhaps natural flavors — may be added to refine the taste without masking cascara’s unique character.
Finally, the beverage is canned, sealed, and shipped to retailers or directly to customers. From a farm in a coffee-growing region to a can on your shelf, cascara has traveled a long way — and passed through many hands. The result is a beverage that bridges tradition (coffee cherry tea) and modern sustainability-forward drink culture.
Why This Matters: Sustainability, Waste Reduction & Fairer Farming Economics
The journey of cascara isn’t just about flavor — it’s a story of transformation and responsibility. In traditional coffee production, the coffee cherry husks and pulp amount to a significant portion of the fruit (sometimes 70–80%). If unused, that material either goes to compost or — worse — is discarded, decomposing and potentially contributing to greenhouse gases.
By upcycling that fruit into cascara, coffee farms can tap into a new revenue stream — often one that wouldn’t require huge new investments, but simply a shift in mindset and process. This can strengthen farmer livelihoods and make coffee production more sustainable overall.
Moreover, cascara processing tends to be less resource-intensive than traditional coffee roasting: drying the husks uses sunlight or minimal energy, and the leftover pulp/bean is still processed separately for coffee — meaning less waste and more efficient use of the entire coffee fruit.
When you choose a cascara-based drink, you’re not only embracing a smooth, fruity flavor — you’re supporting a more circular, conscious approach to coffee agriculture.
Cascara, Reimagined: Coffee Tradition Meets Modern Beverage
Cascara’s journey — from cherry on a farm to a canned drink — reminds us of how thoughtful sourcing and creative reimagining can transform “waste” into wonder. The tastiest drinks are often the ones with the richest stories: fruit once bound to the earth, saved from the compost heap, dried with care, brewed to highlight natural sweetness, and finally sealed in a can — ready to be enjoyed.
At BeGOAT, we believe in honoring that journey. Every can is a tribute — to farmers, to sustainability, and to the vibrant potential of coffee beyond the bean. So next time you crack open one of our cascara drinks: pause. Take a sip. And appreciate the path from reddish-coffee cherry, through sun and soil, to the can in your hand.
Because cascara isn’t just a different beverage. It’s coffee done right — from root to rind.
BeGOAT – Powered By Nature, Made For Performance
BeGOAT harnesses the natural energy of Cascara+, using the whole coffee fruit to deliver clean, sustained energy without the crash. Each can provides 200 mg of caffeine, zero calories, and is naturally sweetened with organic Reb M stevia and monk fruit. Crafted from non-GMO, plant-based, vegan, and gluten-free ingredients, BeGOAT is a sustainable fuel designed to keep you focused, energized, and performing at your peak.
Zero Sugar Flavors:
- Blue Raspberry
- Huckleberry Lemonade
- Strawberry Acai
OG Flavors:
- Grapefruit Tangerine
- Hibiscus Lime
- Strawberry Lemon Ginger
- Watermelon Dragonfruit
Grab a can of BeGOAT at your local market for a refreshing, sustainable boost, or order online whenever it suits you. Stay in the loop by following us on social media!
BeGOAT is available at select retailers, including Amazon, New Seasons Market, Market of Choice, Town & Country Markets, and participating Safeway and Albertsons locations.
Share:
BeGOAT’s Whole-Fruit Revolution