This weekend Katie and I decided to go up to the Palouse Divide, in the Meadow Creek watershed, for huckleberries. We'd been told by some friends it was a good year, and it was. There were berries everywhere once we found them. Unfortunately we got there about an hour after lunch, right in the heat of the day. We managed to pick a gallon or so before the sun had beaten us into submission and we headed to the Hoodoo in Harvard, ID for lunch. When we got home we decided we needed some salt, a drink, and some huckleberries. We figured we could get all of that in one glass with a huckleberry margarita.
© 2009 Laurel F, Wikimedia Commons
Back in March I went down to Mazatlán, Mexico for a conference of the American Fisheries Society. The conference was excellent, the scenery and people were great, and the tequila was worth bringing home. I had a bottle of Los Osuna reposada, made near Mazatlán, that I hadn't opened yet. It's not technically a tequila since it is from Sinaloa, which isn't an approved tequila region, but it is made from 100% blue agave. They don't market themselves as a Mescal either, but it's good stuff. It's won a few tasting awards and is definitely good enough to sip and enjoy. Taste Tequila has a great video with some explanation of the tequila and it's background direct from one of the family members who have been making the stuff for the last hundred years.

There's nothing particularly special about the recipe, but the huckleberries are a great addition. Mix it all up, muddle some huckleberries in the bottom and pour it over ice in a salt rimmed glass and suddenly you have an awesome drink for a Palouse summer by way of Mazatlán. Here are the ingredients for one glass:

  • 2oz fresh lime juice
  • 3oz decent tequila (who wants to ruin huckleberries with Cuervo Gold)
  • Agave syrup (or simple syrup), sweeten to taste
  • Small handful of huckleberries
  • Flaked salt for the rim
  • Save a lime wedge for garnish.