Bozeman Basecamp: Huckleberry Dark Cocoa

Dark cocoa, espresso snap, huckleberry finish. A mug build for long nights and later starts.

New Year’s Eve in Bozeman isn’t a champagne thing. It’s a one-more-lap thing. It’s cold smoke on the headlights, a parking-lot laugh you can see in the air, and that moment you finally stop moving and realize your body’s been running on fumes.

This is the mug you earn after. Not sugar-bomb cocoa that tastes like childhood. Dark cocoa, a hit of espresso, and huckleberry to keep it local without getting cute. The pinch of smoked salt is the closer. It tightens the whole thing up.

Make it at home. Make it in a cabin. Make it in a lodge kitchen. Just make it hot.

Ingredients

For the quick huckleberry syrup (makes ~8–10 mugs)

• 1 cup huckleberry jam or preserves

• 1/2 cup hot water

• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, keeps it bright)

For the cocoa (makes one)

• 1 tbsp dark cocoa powder (Dutch-process if you’ve got it)

• 1–2 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar (to taste)

• 1 shot espresso or 1/4 cup very strong coffee

• 3/4 cup milk (or oat milk)

• 1–2 tbsp quick huckleberry syrup

• Pinch of smoked salt (or flaky sea salt)

Optional top

• Lightly whipped cream or frothed milk

• Cocoa dusting

Optional adult version (keep it off the skin track)

• 1 oz bourbon or rye (add at the end)

Instructions

Make the quick syrup

1. Stir jam/preserves with hot water until smooth.

2. Add lemon juice if you want it sharper.

3. Keep it in the fridge. It’s good for a couple weeks.

Build the mug

1. In your mug, mix cocoa powder and maple/brown sugar with a splash of hot coffee/espresso to make a smooth paste (this prevents clumps).

2. Heat milk until steaming (not boiling), then pour in and stir hard.

3. Add 1–2 tbsp huckleberry syrup and a pinch of smoked salt.

4. Top with frothed milk or a quick whip if you want the extra layer.

Pro tips

• If it tastes flat, it needs salt, not more sugar.

• If it tastes too sweet, add more cocoa and a splash more espresso.

• Smoked salt is the cheat code. Regular salt still works. Don’t skip the pinch.

Serve it after a cold day when your hands are slow and your hoodie smells like woodsmoke and ski wax. It’s a Bozeman finish: simple, dark, and effective.

Words by Alpine Extreme. For the nights that run long and the mornings that start early.