Tarkenian Night Flower

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Cocktail History

The Tarkenian Night Flower is a Star Wars cocktail that was first mentioned in Rebel Dawn, a 1998 Legends-era novel by A. C. Crispin about Han Solo and his Wookie sidekick Chewbacca.

Meant to be a recreation of the original from the book, this copycat version made with a delicious combination of gin, huckleberry, elderflower, floral grenadine, lime, and ginger beer was served at Oga’s Cantina’s Life Day celebration in 2021 and quickly became beloved by park goers.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Ginger Beer: This is a carbonated beverage made with ginger root, and yeast or ginger culture, water, and sugar, which are infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a fizzy, spicy flavor.

Gin: This is a spirit made by redistilling a neutral spirit with juniper berries and other botanicals to develop a distinctive, aromatic flavor.

Huckleberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with huckleberries, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a tangy, berry flavor.

Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflower blossoms, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a light, floral flavor.

Hibiscus Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with dried hibiscus blossoms, pomegranate juice, and white sugar, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a floral, sweet-tart flavor.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid extracted from the flesh of ripe limes that has a zesty, sour flavor and light green color.

Candied Hibiscus Flower: This is a type of edible flower made by preserving hibiscus buds in sweetened syrup to develop a sticky, candied texture and tart, floral flavor.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 Q Mixers Ginger Beer
• 🔗 La Crosse Distilling Company Christmas Gin
• 🔗 Monin Premium Huckleberry Syrup
• 🔗 St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur
• 🔗 The Wild Hibiscus Flower Company Original Flowers in Rose Syrup

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker made with a large metal tin and a second tin or mixing glass that’s used for shaking and chilling cocktail ingredients.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is a flat metal strainer with a handle and a coiled spring around the edge that’s used for straining shaken cocktails from a shaker while holding back ice and solids.

Cutting Board: This is a flat, durable kitchen surface made from materials like wood or plastic that’s used for slicing ingredients and preparing garnishes.

Paring Knife: This is a small kitchen knife with a narrow, sharp blade that’s used for peeling fruit and trimming garnishes.

Electric Citrus Juicer: This is a kitchen appliance with a motorized reamer that’s used for quickly extracting juice from citrus fruits.

Fine Mesh Strainer: This is a mesh metal strainer with a tightly woven bowl and handle that’s used for straining out small ice shards and other solids while pouring cocktails from a shaker or mixing glass.

Measuring Cup: This is a kitchen tool with a handled cup and marked volume measurements that’s used for accurately measuring and pouring liquid ingredients.

Tweezers: This is a long, narrow tool with angled tips that’s used for precisely placing delicate garnishes and small ingredients.

Lowball Glass: This is a short, wide glass with a thick base that’s used for serving cocktails with ice or spirits neat.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Boston Shaker
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Hawthorne Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Cutting Board Set
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife
• 🔗 BLACK+DECKER 32 oz Electric Citrus Juicer
• 🔗 Barfly Silver Stainless Steel Fine Mesh Cocktail Strainer
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips 2 Cup Angled Measuring Cup
• 🔗 Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Deep magenta with a subtle ombré effect
• Aroma: Bright ginger layered with floral notes and ripe huckleberry
• Taste: Effervescent ginger beer opens the sip, blending into bitter blackcurrant gin, sweet huckleberry, dry hibiscus, and tart lime
• Finish: Lingering ginger with a gentle, spicy warmth

Kendall’s Take
“I stumbled across this recipe while digging through menus from Oga’s Cantina, and it felt like I’d discovered buried treasure. The flavor combination is unlike anything I’d tried before—huckleberry and candied hibiscus bring a vibrant twist to the familiar Moscow Mule format. Everything comes together in a bright, slightly floral way that’s both refreshing and memorable. If you can track down the blackcurrant gin, definitely use it too because the extra depth it adds makes the Tarkenian Night Flower feel truly out of this world.”

Recipe