44 North Vodka Huckleberry Lemonade Recipe

Cook berries

Combine 1 cup huckleberries, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. If using, add 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Simmer and mash

Reduce heat and simmer 8–10 minutes, mashing the berries with a spoon or potato masher to release juice and color. The mixture should thicken slightly.

Strain and cool

Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl, pressing on solids to extract liquid. Discard solids. Let the syrup cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Yield: about 3/4–1 cup syrup.

Juice lemons

Juice lemons until you have 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons). Strain to remove seeds and excess pulp if desired.

Mix lemonade

In a pitcher combine 1 cup fresh lemon juice and 2 cups cold water. Taste and add up to 2 tablespoons simple syrup if you prefer sweeter lemonade. Stir well and chill.

Prepare glasses

Fill four tall glasses with ice (about 1 cup ice per glass). If desired, rim the glass lightly with sugar by rubbing a lemon wedge around the rim and dipping in granulated sugar.

Build the cocktail

Divide 8 oz 44 North Huckleberry Vodka evenly among the four glasses (2 oz per glass). Add 6 tablespoons huckleberry syrup to the pitcher with 2 cups lemonade and stir to combine. Pour 1/2 cup of the huckleberry-lemonade mixture into each glass over the vodka and ice (about 4 oz per glass).

Top with fizz (optional)

If you want a sparkling cocktail, top each glass with about 1/4 cup chilled club soda or sparkling water. Stir gently once to integrate.

Garnish and serve

Garnish each glass with a lemon slice, 3 fresh huckleberries or blueberries, and a sprig of mint if using. Serve immediately.