Kasiya Estates, officially known as the Kasiya Estates Beverage Company (KEBC), was a subsidiary of TEAD Technologies that produced high-quality alcoholic beverages for distribution around Taldryan Republic space. Founded in 37 ABY by former Taldryan Consul Seraine "Erinyes" Taldrya Ténama, KEBC later expanded its business Brotherhood-wide.
History
During her tenure as Consul of Taldryan in 37 ABY, Erinyes had purchased large tracts of fertile agricultural lands in the foothills of Kasiya's Scios Range under the guise of TEAD Technologies. These holdings were intended as an agri-food production hub for Taldryan's growing population, and would eventually become the Mytilene agricultural district.
After Erinyes resigned as Consul, she retired to a villa near Mytilene and turned her lifelong love of fine alcohol and mixology into a second career. Kasiya Estates Distillery (KED) opened in early 38 ABY, and released its first product the same year: a tsiraki named Consul's Choice. The spirit was crafted to Erinyes' personal taste, and she quickly became its greatest advertiser.
However, one successful niche product did not a sustainable business make. Drawing from the wide variety of fruits and grains available in Mytilene, Kasiya Estates launched several other beverages the same year. They also studied Mytilene's geography to see which offworld cultivars might fare well locally, and imported several species of grapes from the Core Worlds to establish vineyards at Mytilene. Kasiya Estates' first grape crop was planted in 39 ABY, and the company—now renamed Kasiya Estates Distillers and Vintners (KED&V)—premiered their first wine offerings that year. Of special note was the Katarn black ruby malbec, a hybrid of Chandrilan malbec and Kasiyan Golubok black grapes that produced a dry, fruity wine so dark that it appeared black under normal light.
In 41 ABY, Kasiya Estates released the first batch of what would become its flagship product: Dark Elixir, a "Corellian-style whiskey", so named to avoid legal entanglements with the powerful whiskey lobby on Corellia. Dark Elixir was widely recognised as an excellent whiskey, and it quickly became Kasiya Estates' most recognisable product outside the Caelus System. However, rumours about the brand's "shadowy" production process swirled; see the #Dark Elixir Sith sorcery allegations section, below.
With Erinyes' appointment to The Council in 42 ABY, Kasiya Estates gained an elevated profile throughout Brotherhood space. Its products made regular appearances at Brotherhood-organised events.
Product Offerings
- Flagship product: Dark Elixir, a "Corellian-style whiskey" released in 42 ABY as a direct competitor to Whyren's Reserve. The whiskey is sold in "Aged" and "Extra Aged" varieties, estimated by experts to be aged 8-10 and 12-15 years respectively. KED&V has been extremely tight-lipped about how the company could produce a whiskey three to five times its own age, leading to rampant industry speculation and even wild accusations that the beverage has been artificially aged through "Sith alchemy". Naturally, KED&V dismisses the rumours as absurd.
- Signature Line:
- Aquamarine Shimmer, a Toniray-style sparkling wine (developed for Cassandra Oriana Tyris)
- Consul's Choice tsiraki (developed for Seraine "Erinyes" Taldrya Ténama)
- Darth Cerasus, a dark cherry spear-grain whiskey aged via the same proprietary process as Dark Elixir (developed for Darth Renatus)
- Used to make the Cerasus Sour: 1oz Darth Cerasus, 1oz simple syrup, optional egg white, equal parts sour citrus juice and carbonated sour citrus soft drink
- Katarn black ruby malbec (developed for Kir Katarn, used to create the cocktail of the same name)
- Mando'ade, a carbonated citrus energy drink fortified with tihaar (developed for Appius Taldrya Wight)
- Mountain Spring, mineral water extracted from a Scios Range spring (developed for Ood Bnar)
- Storm-Tossed dark rum (developed in collaboration with Morgan B. Sorenn and Rasilvenaira StormRaven)
- Standard Line:
- Dragostae, a Zeltron spear-grain whiskey, named for the former Zeltron colony city on Karufr
- Kasiyan spiceberry liqueur (described as similar to Socorran raava made from zsajhira berries, but with intense cinnamon notes)
- Lacrima Alabaster (diamond), Viridian (emerald) and Cinnabar (ruby) wines
- Specialty Line:
- Cat's Meow, a nepeta liqueur produced for KED&V by an artisan distiller on Togoria
- Dog's Bollocks, an aniseed liqueur produced for KED&V by an artisan distiller on Uvena Prime
Controversies
Dark Elixir Sith alchemy allegations
As Kasiya Estates' products spread beyond Brotherhood space, allegations circulated that the company's Dark Elixir whiskey—which relied heavily on invoking images of occult practices in their branding—was produced by unwholesome means, such as chemical manipulation or even actual Sith alchemy. Kasiya Estates vehemently denied the accusations, stating that the allegations were a moral panic fuelled by Corellian whiskey producers to undermine Dark Elixir's growing popularity among crtics. However, Kasiya Estates was tight-lippped about the details of Dark Elixir's production process, describing it only as "innovative".
Naturally, the controversy around Dark Elixir's allegedly underhanded production provided Kasiya Estates a large publicity boost. Claims that the company's founder had ties to the First Order fanned the flames even after being denounced, as Kasiya Estates once again claimed the Corellian "cartels" were trying to sully their reputation. As a result, Dark Elixir found some popularity among whiskey enthusiasts in the wider galaxy as an "anti-establishment" option, in addition to its merits as an alcohol.
In reality, the use of Sith alchemy in Dark Elixir's production was an open secret within the Brotherhood. However, the Kasiya Estates founder was careful to only acknowledge that fact in private conversations or at closed gatherings, and never in a public setting where her answer could be taken as definitive. After all, doing so would eliminate a major source of free publicity.