Cuvée Rouge Casca

Cuvée Rouge Casca is a non-alcoholic red cuvée produced by A.I.R. Distillations of Antwerp, layering a Colombian cascara distillate over a base of red-grape must and verjus, with cacao shells, specialty-grade decaf coffee, and toasted French oak. It is one of four ready-to-serve beverages in the producer's lineup, alongside Awa Shiso, Cuvée Pétillant Geranium, and Cuvée Blanc Cedro. A.I.R. Distillations frames its products not as imitations or de-alcoholized wines but as layered blends of distillates, grapes, spices, and bitters built from the ground up, with the same layering, structure, and finish sought in wine.^[1]

Name. Cuvée Rouge Casca takes its name from cascara, the dried coffee cherry, which is also a key botanical in the blend.^[1]

A.I.R. Distillations declares Cuvée Rouge Casca as a blend of Colombian cascara distillate, red-grape must, and verjus (never from concentrate), with cacao shells, specialty-grade decaf coffee, and toasted French oak.^[1]

Colombian Cascara Distillate — Aromatic Lift. Cascara, the dried coffee cherry, is the key botanical and the source of the cuvée's name. A.I.R. Distillations states the cascara distillate captures the bright, dried-fruit aroma of the coffee cherry.^[1]

Red-Grape Must & Verjus — Vinous Base. The cascara distillate is layered over a base of red-grape must and verjus, the latter never from concentrate. Across the range, verjus — the tart juice of unripe grapes — is the producer's universal base ingredient, typically 15 to 20 percent of the blend, supplying acidity, grape aromas, body, and a wine-like fullness of flavor and texture.^[1]

Specialty-Grade Decaf Coffee — Body & Mouthfeel. A.I.R. Distillations states the decaf specialty coffee lends body and an oaked mouthfeel to the cuvée.^[1]

Cacao Shells & Toasted French Oak — Chocolate, Smoke & Spice. Cacao shells and toasted French oak round out the blend; A.I.R. Distillations states they add whispers of chocolate, smoke, and spice.^[1]

Nose. Wild cascara coffee-cherry edged with forest berries.^[1]

Palate. Red fruit — blackcurrant and sour cherry — with hints of cacao.^[1]

Finish. Woody, dry, and tannin-rich, leaving the palate clean.^[1]

Structure. ^[1]

• Tannin: Tannin-rich
• Length: Woody, dry finish that leaves the palate clean

Temperature. Serve at 16–18°C.^[1]

Glassware. A Burgundy bowl or universal red glass.^[1]

Specifications. Cuvée Rouge Casca is a non-alcoholic red cuvée. It is bottled in 750 ml, yielding 6 to 7 servings of 110–125 ml per glass. It is priced at $22.00 USD, and at EUR 17.90 on the producer's website.^[1]

• Classification: Non-alcoholic red cuvée / wine-moment alternative
• Format: 750 ml bottle
• Servings: 6–7 glasses of 110–125 ml
• Price: $22.00 USD; EUR 17.90

Production. Cuvée Rouge Casca is made by A.I.R. Distillations, based in Antwerp, with its lab in the Wolkammerij in Hoboken. The company is vertically integrated from field to distillery, distilling botanicals alcohol-free and blending them in-house. Verjus across the range is sourced from partner vineyards in France and Austria.

Ingredients Policy. The red-grape must and verjus are never made from concentrate. Across its range A.I.R. Distillations states its products contain no preservatives, additives, flavorings, natural aromas, or extracts, and reject synthetic powders and masking agents in favor of naturally extracted botanicals.^[1]