A beverage composition contains fermented cascara or fermented cascara extract. A further aspect is a method of preparing a beverage composition, the method including steeping cascara in water to form an aqueous cascara extract and steeped cascara; and fermenting the aqueous cascara extract in a presence or absence of the steeped cascara. The fermenting is performed by yeast in an absence of acetic acid bacteria. A still further aspect is the yeast Pichia kluyveri NYSC 5485 (CNCM I-5525).