Cascahuin Recipe

Rinse and combine

Quickly rinse the dried cascara under cold water in a sieve to remove dust. Place the rinsed cascara in a medium saucepan and add 6 cups of cold water.

Simmer

Bring the water and cascara to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Once it reaches a simmer, reduce heat to low and let it steep gently for 15–20 minutes. Taste after 15 minutes — it should be fruity, tea-like, and slightly sweet. Steep longer (up to 25 minutes) for a deeper flavor.

Sweeten while warm

Remove the pan from heat and stir in the brown sugar, honey, and salt while the infusion is warm so the sweeteners dissolve completely. Stir until fully incorporated.

Strain and cool

Strain the cascara infusion through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a heatproof pitcher to remove solids. Press lightly on the solids to extract liquid, then discard the husks. Let the infusion cool at room temperature for 20–30 minutes, then refrigerate until cold (about 30–45 minutes) if you prefer a chilled beverage.

If your infusion is chilled, proceed. In a large pitcher, combine the strained cascara infusion (about 5–6 cups after sweetening) with the fresh lime juice and fresh orange juice. Stir thoroughly to combine.

Fill serving glasses with ice (about 1/2 cup ice per 8-oz glass). Pour the cascara-lime-orange mixture over the ice, filling glasses to about three-quarters full.

Top each glass with sparkling water to add effervescence (about 1/4–1/3 cup sparkling water per glass depending on how fizzy you like it). Stir gently to combine.

Taste and adjust: if you prefer sweeter, add a little more honey or brown sugar (dissolve a teaspoon in a small amount of warm infusion before adding). If too tart, add 1–2 teaspoons of brown sugar per glass and stir to dissolve.

Garnish each glass with a lime wheel and a mint sprig. Serve immediately chilled.