Huck's Place juices up downtown Whitefish

Huck’s Place sounds like a typical Montana eatery, but the food and drinks inside aren’t like anything else in the Flathead Valley.

Billed as a ginger brew and juice bar, it’s a refreshingly simple addition to Whitefish’s Central Avenue.

Madisen and Kyle Duty, with some help from their 20-month-old, Grace, make their own beverages using plant-based ingredients such as ginger, turmeric and kale.

Ginger brew, Madisen explained, is a combination of ginger, lemon, vanilla, cane sugar and water. It’s carbonated for an extra kick, and it can be flavored with add-ins like huckleberry, lime and cherry. The Dutys even offer personalized flavors for events such as weddings and parties.

The drink is probably best-known as a mixer in the classic Moscow Mule cocktail, but Madisen said it’s also popular by itself as a non-alcoholic option.

An especially popular choice, Madisen said, is Huck’s Mule Kick Shot. The 2-ounce nonalcoholic shot combines lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper. It’s touted as a relief for the after-effects of drinking too many Moscow Mules the night before.

In addition to ginger brew, the Dutys also offer a rainbow of juices, ranging from vegetable-heavy mixtures to root-based juices and citrusy classics.

The “mean green” is one of the most popular flavors at Huck’s Place, according to Madisen. The rich green blend is filled with cucumber, spinach, celery, kale, apple and ginger.

Another nutrient-rich option is the “Whitefish roots,” made with beets, carrots, orange, cucumber, spinach, lemon and ginger.

For less adventurous palates, there’s the “watermelon cooler,” a light mix of watermelon, lime and mint.

And outside of drinks, they also offer gelato, smoothies, smoothie bowls, breakfast sandwiches, pastries, coffee and grab-and-go snacks. Moving forward, Madisen said they plan to add lunch fare, too.

Huck’s Place also doubles as a small market with an array of edible gifts and kitchen gadgets.

“We’re slowly adding on,” Madisen said.

HUCK’S PLACE is the realization of a dream many years in the making.

The Dutys’ story started back when Madisen was born. Madisen’s and Kyle’s families were best friends as the children grew up together in the Flathead Valley.

Eventually, Madisen went to Florida for college and Kyle headed to California as a snowboard instructor. On their own, each of them eventually returned home and reconnected.

Not long after their reunion, however, Madisen’s father became seriously sick. Madisen took inspiration from the juice bars she had visited in Florida in an effort to help her father’s ailing health.

Unfortunately, Henry “Huck” Cross passed away from his illness, but he inspired Madisen to build a business around her juice recipes.

“She always, always wanted to have a juice bar,” Kyle recalled.

Huck’s Place launched in honor of Madisen’s late father in 2017 inside the Stumptown Marketplace. The business closed for a year during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it was reborn this summer on a much larger scale in a new storefront on Central Avenue.

The Dutys are celebrating the grand opening of Huck’s Place this weekend, on the anniversary of Huck’s wedding to Madisen’s mother, Jennifer.

Huck’s Place is located at 217 Central Ave. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 406-758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.