Barsys
Sloney Poney
About
Sloney Poney is a highball built on 44 North Huckleberry Vodka, Fuji apple juice, and a peach mix, and it drinks exactly the way an evening should end: unhurried, fruit-forward, and a little more interesting than it first lets on.
The huckleberry vodka is the reason to pay attention. It carries a wild, faintly tart berry note that most fruit drinks would flatten, and here it holds its own against the sweetness rather than disappearing into it. Fuji apple keeps things crisp and familiar. The peach mix, peach liqueur rounded out with simple syrup and lemon, is the connective tissue, soft in the middle with just enough acid to keep the whole thing honest.
The name is doing its own thing, and we're inclined to let it. Some drinks are better for not explaining themselves.
Shaken or Stirred? Built and briefly stirred. There's nothing here that needs the force of a hard shake. The juices and the peach mix fold together easily, so a clean pour over ice and a short stir is all it asks for. That also keeps the drink bright and clear rather than clouding it, which matters in a glass this tall.
What You'll Need
For one Sloney Poney:
- 2 oz 44 North Huckleberry Vodka
- 2 oz Fuji apple juice
- 2.5 oz peach mix (peach liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon)
- Ice Cubes
Glass: Highball
Garnish: Apple slice
Pro tip: Batch the peach mix in advance rather than building it per drink. Peach liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon in a fixed ratio, made ahead and chilled, means every pour tastes identical and the drink comes together in seconds. It's the difference between serving one guest and serving a room.
How to Make It
Prep time: 2 to 3 minutes
Skill level: Easy
- Fill a highball glass with cubed ice.
- Pour in the huckleberry vodka and the Fuji apple juice.
- Add the peach mix.
- Stir gently until chilled and combined.
- Garnish with an apple slice and serve.
The orchard fruit in the glass gives you an easy line to the food. Anything with stone fruit, apple, or a salty-sweet contrast sits comfortably alongside it.
Using Barsys Cocktail Machine?
This is a Barsys 360 drink, and it's a good one to demonstrate with, because it makes the machine's argument without needing narration. Load the huckleberry vodka, apple juice, and peach mix into three of the six canisters, set the glass in the center, and the 360 pours each measure to a tenth of an ounce. Two ounces means two ounces, every time, which is the whole point.
The elegant part is the other three canisters. A single load runs the full Evening Pour menu, so one machine, poured by anyone, delivers the second drink to the same standard as the first. No bartender, no jigger, no drift between the first guest of the night and the fortieth. That consistency is the product.
For the full recipe, download the Barsys App.
Tasting Notes
The Barsys Edge
A fruit-forward highball is deceptively easy to get wrong. Too much peach mix and it slides into dessert. Too little and the huckleberry loses its footing. The balance is narrow, and by hand it moves a little with every pour and every pourer.
Barsys holds that line. The same three measures, in the same order, at the same temperature, so the drink you hand someone at the start of the evening is the drink you hand someone at the end. For a room where consistency is the thing being evaluated, that is not a small detail.
Sip Setting
Sloney Poney is an evening drink in the truest sense, made for the reception hour when people are settling in and the conversation is finding its rhythm. It's soft enough to be sociable, interesting enough to hold attention, and easy enough that no one has to think about it. Exactly the register you want for the first drink of the night.
Garnish Game
An apple slice on the rim tells the guest what they're holding before they taste it, and echoes the Fuji at the base of the recipe. Keep it clean and thin. The drink is already doing the work; the garnish is just the introduction.
You may also like
FAQs
What is a Sloney Poney?
A highball made with 44 North Huckleberry Vodka, Fuji apple juice, and a peach mix of peach liqueur, simple syrup, and lemon, served tall over ice.
What does it taste like?
Fruit-forward and soft, led by apple and peach, with a wild huckleberry note underneath and a clean lemon finish. Approachable, but not simple.
Can I make it without huckleberry vodka?
You can use a plain or berry vodka, but the huckleberry is what gives the drink its character. If you swap it, expect a more straightforward fruit highball.
Is it a strong drink?
It's spirit-forward for a highball, so it drinks smoother than it is. Build it over plenty of ice and it stays balanced.
Can it be batched for a party?
Yes, and it's built for it. Pre-mix the peach component, keep the ratios fixed, and it scales cleanly, which is exactly what the 360 is designed to handle.