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.

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Cocktail Ingredients

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

Gin: This is a spirit made with juniper berries, botanicals, and alcohol. The original recipe called for a dry gin, but I used La Crosse Distilling Company Christmas Gin.

Huckleberry Syrup: This is a sweetener made with huckleberries, cane sugar, citric acid, and water. I used Monin Premium Huckleberry Syrup.

Elderflower Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with elderflowers, citrus, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. I used Edinburgh Gin Distillery Elderflower Gin Liqueur.

Hibiscus Grenadine: This is a sweetener made with dried hibiscus flowers, white sugar, and pomegranate juice. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Ginger Beer: This is a carbonated beverage made with ginger spice, yeast, and sugar. The recipe at Oga's Cantina uses LAVA Moscow Mule Mix, but I prefer fresh lime juice and ginger beer in my Mule templates, so I used Q Mixers Ginger Beer.

Candied Hibiscus Flower: This is a hibiscus flower blossom that has been soaked in rich rose syrup. I used The Wild Hibiscus Flower Company Original Flowers in Rose Syrup.

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Bartending Tools

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

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tweezers: This is used to place the garnish on the drink. I used one from the Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Dark magenta color with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Ginger, floral, and huckleberry

• Taste: Fizzy ginger beer at first that melds into bitter blackcurrant gin, sweet huckleberry, dry hibiscus, and tart lime

• Finish: More slightly spicy ginger

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: "This recipe was the buried treasure of my Star Wars drinks. It turns out it was a special item on a menu for Life Day one year, and I just happened to come across it when searching for popular drinks from Oga’s Cantina. It features several flavors that were brand new to me, including huckleberry and candied hibiscus, and I was ready to be blown away at the first taste given I already love the Moscow Mule format. Oh my, it did not disappoint. Please do yourself a favor and make this incredible recipe! If you can find a bottle, be sure to use the blackcurrant gin too because it really takes the Tarkenian Night Flower to an out-of-this-world level."

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Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from the menu at Oga's Cantina, a restaurant and bar located at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. The specifications are an estimate based on our best guess for a well-balanced drink as well as reader feedback.