by Samantha Husted

When it comes to creating cocktails menus, mixologist Sean Teague says he can’t do anything casually.

“Everything’s pretty over-engineered,” Teague explains.

This over-engineered approach to mixology, and perhaps a little homegrown charisma, has earned Teague a spot amongst Charlotte’s leading mixologists: having worked his way through top bar programs such as Folia, Albertine, and most recently the Michelin Recommended Rada.

At just 25 years old, Teague — who has been bartending for a mere couple of years — has recently taken on a new title: beverage director. His latest venture, Huckleberry, is a cocktail concept located in the heart of NoDa from owners Michael “Mikey” Angelicola and Owen Carter of Happy Camper, a cannabis dispensary in Charlotte. It quietly opened its doors in September.

“This is my first time doing this,” Teague says. “I’m like, ‘Oh, maybe I do sort of sometimes know what I’m doing.’ I think people have trust and faith in me that I do and I think that pushes me a little bit harder than just having the position in general.”

Huckleberry’s menu combines Teague’s unique style of mixology, background in chemistry, and the seasonality of North Carolina’s ingredients. “In terms of the opening cocktail menu, I really just did inspirations from my time bartending so far, plus modern nostalgia meets cocktail chemistry,” Teague explains.

The menu offers a variety of classics with a hyper-local, science-y twist, a small, but curated wine list, beer, and non-alcoholic options as well.

“We wanted to offer classics with a local twist, specialty drinks, wine, and a few beers, just because we need to have them, martinis, coffee-based drinks or café-style stuff, and some house shooters for fun,” Teague says.

For those wondering if a cocktail bar owned by a cannabis dispensary will serve THC beverages, the answer is a quiet yes. While Huckleberry is predominantly cocktail-focused, it will offer one THC beverage on the menu called “The Happiest Camper,” a 7.5 milligram Happy Camper seltzer mixed with a refreshing housemade Brazilian limeade.

When it comes to the seasonality of the menu, Teague says the cocktails will change based on the availability of ingredients, which rely heavily on local North Carolina farms. He’s also opted to include an array of locally distilled spirits.

Take, for instance, Huckleberry’s “Liquid Gold,” a cocktail Teague describes as a “G&T and a Hugo Spritz walk into a bar.” It’s a refreshing, earthy blend of gin, chamomile, and tulsi basil from Garden Window Farms, and buckwheat honey from Dutch Kettle farm. The ingredients artfully showcase North Carolina’s terroir.

“That’s hyper-seasonal,” Teague says, referring to the cocktail. “Once I’m out of the chamomile and the tulsi basil that I have, it’s gone.”

Another hyper-seasonal drink is the “Contradiction,” a tequila soda for cocktail enthusiasts made using clarified mango, Rockwell Native Amber Vermouth, and jalapeños. “Those jalapeños are farm-fresh from Garden Window as well,” Teague says. “Even though that drink slaps, I’m not gonna buy store-bought jalapeños just to keep the drink on.”

The Contradiction is a cocktail that deserves a second look. At its most basic, it’s a carbonated tequila soda on tap. But, this is a Sean Teague menu, where cocktail chemistry is at the forefront of each drink. “We clarify the mango with pectinex through a centrifuge and then make a jalapeño tea, and then add that together and make it into a jam,” Teague explains.

Teague then adds Rockwell Amber vermouth from California to season it, Cazadores Blanco tequila, and a lime acid substitute that he developed in-house. He then blends the ingredients together into a keg, carbonates it, and serves it with a salt and pink pepper rim. It’s a tequila soda meets science.

The most important thing for Teague, aside from tasty science-driven drinks, is, and has always been hospitality. What’s the point of good cocktails, without good service?

“I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but we are hospitality-driven,” Teague says. “We meet people at their pace when they come in the door and want to give them an experience where you can come sit down, have drinks with your friends for hours and enjoy your table.”

As a first-time beverage director Teague seems up to the challenge. Despite his young age, he’s embraced his newfound leadership position. “I have people to take care of. I have people that look up to me or look to me for responsibility, advice, tutelage, and that’s an absurdly cool thing to have at my age,” Teague says. “And you know, it helps me take a step back and slow down and be grateful for everything I have around me.”

Huckleberry also offers a locally focused food menu with charcuterie, fresh focaccia bread from Pizza Baby, pastries from Fralinger Baking Company, and vegan ice cream from Seemingly Overzealous. You can stop in for Night Swim coffee (with a rotating weekly latte flavor) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Unpretentious People Say...

Other Articles You Might Enjoy