Our Favorite cocktails with a touch of maple syrup... AppleJack Rabbit Canadian Ward Eight Vermont Vigor

MAPLE SYRUP COCKTAILS.

By David Coulter

It's that time of year when the days are getting a little warmer, and one of nature's best ingredients, maple sap, starts to flow.

In early spring, farmers in the U.S. Northeast, Quebec and Ontario start collecting the golden elixir as it courses through maple trees. Once it's boiled down, it becomes the perfect sweetener—real maple syrup.

Maple syrup for cocktails?

While it's definitely great on pancakes, pure maple syrup is an also an ideal way to sweeten a cocktail while adding body and a unique, smoky taste.

And I am not the only one to think that this golden sap is the perfect ingredient. Recently, judges from the International Cocktail Experience program, started by the Worldwide Cocktail club to promote global cocktail culture and bartender education, were impressed by its unique flavor. At the end of the Toronto session, second place went to the "Canadian Breakfast Martini" (see recipe below). This truly Canadian indulgence was invented by Paul Pascola, who owns College Street Bar in downtown Toronto.

Make sure it's the good stuff

Make sure to read the label, though. One of the easiest ways to sour a potentially great libation is to add "pancake syrup" to any of our suggested recipes (see sidebar). Real maple syrups will say so, while imitators, sometimes called pancake or breakfast syrup, will have none or as little as 2 per cent real maple syrup.

Maple Whisky Liqueur

Kittling Ridge, a small, world-renowned distiller located south of Toronto, Canada, has tapped the essence of maple syrup in their Maple Whisky Liqueur. To create this uniquely Canadian liquid, they blend maple syrup with whisky, then add a touch of honey to complement the natural flavors.

To learn more visit KittlingRidge.com.

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