Take it from the Thirsty Traveler, maple syrup isn't just for breakfast anymore! In la belle province of Quebec, crafty Quebecers are giving smooth Canadian whiskey a sweet French Canadian kiss!
Quebec's history is closely linked to the maple tree. The Aboriginal people were the first to figure out how to harvest maple sap and turn it into a delicious amber nectar. Later, French pioneers used maple syrup in all kinds of dishes they cooked over wood fires. Today, maple syrup is enjoyed around the world in a variety of tasty ways.
So how does sap become syrup? Simple, really. After a long, cold Canadian winter, the days finally grow longer and warmer but the nights remain chilly — creating ideal conditions for the sap in maple trees to begin flowing. Now, it's just a matter of drilling small holes into the tree trunks, setting the tap, and collecting the sap. This sap — or sweetwater — is then carefully boiled and concentrated until it reaches just the right sweetness.
To make a maple syrup brandy — or as the French say, eau de vie — sweet maple syrup is fermented by adding water, yeast and other nutrients. The resulting "wine" is boiled off and distilled in a tall, vertical "column" still. This allows distillers to pull off the "heart" of the distillate, the best part for making brandy. Finally, the brandy is left to age in oak barrels for up to three years. This produces a spirit that is at once potent yet very smooth…all the while retaining the most sophisticated hint of maple syrup in the nose.
Making maple syrup liqueur is somewhat simpler. At least, on the surface! Take a tanker truck of Canadian whiskey, combine it with a vat of maple syrup, add a few secret blending agents and stabilizers (no, the Thirsty Traveler could not weasel his way into this tight-lipped part of the process), wait a year for the contents to properly marry, and then — Voila — maple syrup liqueur. This stuff is sweet, smooth and ready for the glass. Or kitchen!
Maple syrup eau de vie and maple syrup liqueur are the perfect ingredients for making many dishes. The eau de vie is excellent in marinades such as trout gravlax. And the liqueur is merveilleux in comfort foods like Quebecois baked beans, maple liqueur apple chicken or maple liqueur glazed ham. And, as you might expect, this sweet stuff is perfect in desserts like chewy maple oat clusters or maple blazed crepes.
Personally, though, I'm happy to fill my glass and raise it in appreciation of the wonderful Quebecois culture.
Merci bien, Quebec! And a grand salut to maple syrup spirits!
