New Deal Cascara Liqueur
New Deal Cascara Liqueur is a Portland craft liqueur — 750mL at 25.6% ABV, made from dried cascara (the husk and skin of the coffee cherry, discarded in coffee production) steeped in spirit with pure cane sugar — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 25.6% (51.2 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Ingredient: dried cascara — the coffee cherry's husk and peel, historically brewed as tea in coffee-growing countries (cascara = Spanish for "husk/peel")
- Style: cascara steeped in spirit with pure cane sugar; positioned as a simple-syrup substitute and dessert-cocktail ingredient
- Distillery: New Deal Distillery, Portland, Oregon (Distillery Row, est. 2004) — small copper pot stills, Bull Run water, locally sourced natural and organic ingredients
Coffee's Overlooked Fruit, in a Bottle
Cascara is the part of coffee nobody talks about — the dried husk of the coffee cherry, long brewed as tea where coffee grows. New Deal Distillery steeps it in spirit with pure cane sugar, and the flavor lands nowhere near roasted coffee: think raisin, candied fig, dried apricot, black tea, honey, and baking spice with a long finish. See more from New Deal, or browse the store's liqueurs for more craft spirits.
Tasting Notes
Nose — raisin, candied fig, cookie; palate — dried apricot, black tea, honey, hay, baking spice, maple; long finish. Not a coffee flavor (distillery notes).
How to Enjoy
Use it as a simple-syrup substitute in cocktails, pour it neat as an after-dinner digestif, or build dessert cocktails around its tea-and-honey character.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cascara?
The dried husk and skin of the coffee cherry — a byproduct of coffee production, historically brewed as tea in coffee-growing countries; "cascara" is Spanish for "husk/peel."
Does cascara liqueur taste like coffee?
No — it tastes of raisin, candied fig, black tea, honey, and baking spice, with none of roasted coffee's character.
What is the ABV of New Deal Cascara Liqueur?
25.6% ABV (51.2 proof), per the distillery's own site. Some retailers round it to 25%.
Where is New Deal Distillery?
Portland, Oregon's Distillery Row — operating since 2004 on small copper pot stills with Bull Run water.
One of the most unusual bottles on the shelf: order New Deal Cascara Liqueur online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.