Beat the Heat

Every summer thousands of Idahoans flock to McCall to enjoy cool mountain breezes and the gently lapping waves of Payette Lake. They also look for refreshing beverages—but some of the best aren’t actually written into menus. Several have been crafted at local hotspots through the years by free-spirited bartenders and patrons and, just like the best huckleberry patches or fishing holes, these specialty beverages are only passed on by word of mouth.

Salmon River Brewery: Huckleberry Gold

Adding lemons or limes to beers is a summertime staple for beer drinkers everywhere, but Salmon River Brewery co-owner Matt Hurlbutt quite literally stumbled into this local gem while traipsing through the mountains.

“I used to just squeeze huckleberries and put them in my beer,” he recalled.

Years later, Hurlbutt has taken to brewing entire batches of the brewery’s Udaho Gold infused with locally picked huckleberries. The sweet huckleberry juice permeates the crisp, low-hop flavor of the golden ale, creating a citrus beer unique to Idaho. “They’re just so fresh and refreshing that it just pops,” said Hurlbutt.

The Yacht Club: Rich Boy

It’s hard to go wrong with tropical drinks in the summer, which explains why bartenders at this bar overlooking Payette Lake crafted the “Rich Boy” just for the occasion.

“This is what most of the employees like to drink; it’s taken off for sure,” said bartender Marcus Lawrence, who has manned the Yacht Club’s bar for six years. “It just goes down smooth.” 

The concoction is blended with one ounce of Idaho-distilled 44 North Nectarine vodka and two splashes of blueberry Red Bull and orange juice to round it all out. The medley of sweet nectarine, blueberry flavors and tangy orange juice meshes into a tropical smoothie perfect for sipping while scanning the lake.

McCall Brewing Company: Hung Hippie

The secret menu at McCall Brewing is littered with mixed beer cocktails, but the “Hung Hippie” stands apart as the brewpub’s top quencher of summer doldrums. The blend is half Overhung IPA, which injects a malty flavor into the pub-favorite Hippie Hopped Pale Ale, which makes up the other half of the mixer. Hints of citrus in both beers chase the quick bite of bitterness that fronts each sip, leaving a tanginess that lingers.

“It makes a smooth, not bitter, unique flavor,” said bartender Daniel Hodges. “It’s uniquely local. I love our beers, but I always look forward to mixing new ones.”

Broken Horn Brewing: Bloody Beer

At Broken Horn Brewing, many summer patrons opt to fight fire with fire by “cooling” off with a one-of-a-kind red beer. Primarily made out of the brewery’s Hell’s Canyon Jalapeño Cream Ale, which is brewed with 40 pounds of jalapeños in each batch, the heat is broadened with the addition of Clamato juice.

“When you add the Clamato, it kind of tastes like a Bloody Mary, almost,” said owner Kalen Dodge.

The unconventional mixture teases the spicy taste and aroma of the jalapeños, but the Clamato juice helps neutralize the kick and make the beverage a smooth sipper with character, to say the least. The “Bloody Beer,” as it has been dubbed, is unlike any other beer cocktail in McCall, and that alone drums up enough of a reason to succumb to the heat.

“It’s not going to burn your mouth,” promised Dodge with a grin. “It’s just going to give you the nice flavor.”

Salmon River Brewery | @salmonriverbrewery
44 North Distillery
McCall Brewing Company | @mccallbrewing
Broken Horn Brewing | @brokenhornbrewing