September 21, 2020

Huckleberry Cocktail Recipe

Name: Huckleberry Cocktail Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 oz Vodka; ¼ cup fresh huckleberries; 1 oz fresh lime juice ((or lemon)); 1 oz huckleberry syrup; 8 fresh mint leaves; mint leaves for garnish ((optional)); lime or lemon wedge for garnish ((optional))

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A bright and fresh Huckleberry Cocktail made with vodka, fresh huckleberries, and muddled mint that will make cocktail hour extra special.

a huckleberry cocktail in a lowball glass with a fresh mint sprig — Click on the image above to PIN to your Pinterest board!

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Ingredients for a Huckleberry Vodka Cocktail

2 oz Vodka
¼ cup fresh huckleberries
1 oz fresh lime juice (or lemon juice)
1 oz huckleberry syrup (recipe below)
8 fresh mint leaves
extra mint leave for garnish (optional)
lime wedge or lemon wedge for garnish (optional)

huckleberry cocktail with fresh huckleberries and fresh mint

Bar Tool Essentials For This Huckleberry Cocktail

Here is a list of the bar tools you will need to make this cocktail. For a complete list of tools you should have in your home bar, check out my Home Bar Tool List.

muddler
cocktail shaker
measuring jigger

ingredients for a huckleberry cocktail on a wood cutting board

How to Make a Huckleberry Vodka Cocktail with Mint

Gather all of the ingredients and bar tools and prepare your glass with fresh ice.
Place the huckleberries and mint leaves in the bottom of the cocktail shaker and muddle together, careful not to overly bruise or break up the mint. This will cause your drink to be bitter.
Add the additional ingredients to the cocktail shaker with a small amount of ice and shake for about 15-20 seconds to get everything nice and cold.
Pour the contents of the shaker into the prepared glass. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig and enjoy. Cheers!

Why Should you Muddle Ingredients in a Cocktail?

Muddling releases the flavors of fresh ingredients such as fruit or herbs and helps them bind to the alcohol. There are different types of muddlers usually made of wood, metal, bamboo, or stone. Muddlers with teeth should be used for berries or firm ingredients like rosemary. If you are muddling something delicate like mint or basil, use a muddler with no teeth. It’s usually recommended to muddle in a metal shaker or bowl. Glass should not really be used because it is not safe.

How to Muddle Mint and Huckleberries

When muddling a delicate ingredient like mint, you must be careful not to over-muddle and not to use a muddler with teeth. If you muddle mint too much, it will release the bitter chlorophyll which will end up in your cocktail. Instead, use a light hand and twist a few times in order to release the oils.

Since this Huckleberry Cocktail Recipe requires both the huckleberries and mint to be muddled, be extra careful not to over-muddle the mint with the berries. If you feel like the berries need more juices released, muddle each ingredient separately.

huckleberries in a cocktail shaker before muddling

What to use if you don’t have a muddler?

Use a wooden spoon or the rounded end of a utensil to gently mash the huckleberries and mint leaves.

What Glass to Serve this Huckleberry Cocktail In

I served this Huckleberry Cocktail in a lowball glass, but you can also use a highball glass, martini glass or cocktail glass. If you use a martini or cocktail glass, limit the amount of ice or use a chilled glass with no extra ice. If you use a highball glass and have extra space, add more ice or top off with tonic water or club soda for a bubbly drink!

Where to Find Wild Huckleberries

Huckleberries can be found mostly in the Pacific Northwest and Northwestern Forests. Huckleberries grow really well in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and Idaho. Growing huckleberries at home is difficult, some think it’s because they do not have the ability to build a large and deep root system. Regardless, if you are lucky enough to find wild huckleberries or huckleberries for sale, pick them or buy them!! You won’t regret it.

How to Make Huckleberry Syrup

Add 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of huckleberries (washed and de-stemmed) to a saucepot on the stove.
Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Stir and mash the berries while the mixture is cooking.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool for a minimum of 1 hour.
Mashup any remaining huckleberries before straining through a fine-mesh sieve.
Store the huckleberries syrup in a sealed bottle or container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.