Pure Canadian maple syrup is a versatile, delicious and natural ingredient that is becoming increasingly popular on cocktail menus across Australia. Its story starts over 16,600km away, deep in the Canadian forests. The use of Canada’s secret ingredient in mixology has come a long way from the iconic Maple Old Fashioned or traditional Maple Leaf cocktails, with bartenders all over the world utilising its distinctive taste to add layers of flavour and sweetness to their creations.
The complex flavour profile pairs perfectly with a range of spirits, mixers and botanicals, while its vegan-friendly nature ensures sips are suitable for all. And, just as with every good cocktail, every bottle of syrup has a story. The Canadian province of Quebec is home to over 13,300 maple syrup producers, who harvest over 72% of the world’s supply. Duringthe spring, a unique natural freeze/thaw phenomenon creates the perfect conditions for the sugary sap to be harvested from the maple trees. And there are a lot of trees – 34million in full syrupy, working order.
The harvest or ‘tapping season’ typically runs over a limited period of 12-20 days from early March to late April, when the springtime temperature fluctuations create pressure inside the trees, allowing the magic sap to be collected from the trunks. It’s then boiled down in sugar shacks and naturally turns into maple syrup. That’s it.
There’s minimal human intervention and maximum flavour. On average, it takes 40 litres of maple sap to produce 1 litre of maple syrup, while Quebec’s maple-producing forests store 744,000 metric tonnes of carbon each year – that’s over 11times more than the maple production process releases.The resulting product is 100% natural and pure and should not be confused with ‘maple flavoured’ or golden syrups which contain preservatives, added sugar and artificial colourings.
Right on trend for the movement towards whole, natural ingredients, it’s no wonder that pure Canadian maple syrup is shaking up the mixology scene.
Try it as a flavour-packed replacement for simple sugar syrups, get creative with infusions of herbs and spices, or use the colour to add warmth to the glass – the possibilities are sweet!
For more information and cocktail inspiration, head to: www.maplefromcanada.au