Maple Syrups - Cocktail Ingredient

You've probably seen that some tiki recipes call for "Grade B maple syrup." Well, I'm re-stocking a few things in my bar, and see that "Grade B" is being (or has been) phased out.

The new terms for Grade B Maple Syrup are "Grade A Dark Color," or "Robust Flavor," or a combination of the two terms. Photo examples are shown below.

"I'm party trained!"

I always thought we were supposed to reach for the Grade A? I've had people caution me against the B on the grounds that it will make my drink taste "like a plate of pancakes".

I noticed that change when I bought some the other week on my big trip to Massachusetts.
Here's the new grades from the sugar house's website.

"Here at Paul's Sugar House we follow the International Grading System for Pure Maple Syrup. In this system there are four different grades of maple syrup:

Grade A Golden Color, Delicate Taste: This light syrup has the mildest maple flavor and is usually made early in the season.

Grade A Amber Color, Rich Taste: Still light in color, this syrup has a more full-bodied maple flavor.

Grade A Dark, Robust Taste: This syrup is for those who prefer a substantially stronger maple flavor.

Grade A Very Dark, Strong Taste: This bold flavored syrup is ideal for cooking and baking, and is made late in the season."

I bought two qts of the Dark Robust Taste.

I love maple syrup but it seems like a strange fit for TIki drinks. Like the very anti-thesis of tropical

The Grade B has a MUCH stronger maple taste. Some cocktail recipes do differentiate between grades and go out of their way to specify "Grade B," therefore I thought it worth discussing here on TC. I have both grades in my home bar, but only keep relatively small quantities on hand because it's not a very common ingredient and one that pretty much only I myself experiment with.

The Total Tiki drinks app shows that the ingredient is specified in 6 recipes. It goes on to give an example of maple syrup and -- surprise -- it is "Deep Mountain Grade B Maple Syrup." So it seems to me that there is plenty of room for confusion when a recipe specifies maple syrup. I have personally used Grade A (regular) when a recipe simply calls for maple syrup and Grade B (dark/robust) when a recipe specifies "Grade B." But I think it's kind of a crap shoot - you can never tell how diligent the originator of the drink was when he wrote the recipe, or how much maple flavor he intended to have in the drink. This is where our cocktail skills and understanding of "balance" in a drink comes in. But even all that goes out the window if the originator of the drink wanted maple flavor to really punch through but didn't make that clear in his maple syrup specification.

Many of our recipes are from many years ago when Grade A / Grade B classifications were in use, so I think this discussion is helpful. Cheers!

Description/definition in the Total Tiki app:

"I'm party trained!"

On 2018-07-18 06:17, MadDogMike wrote:
I love maple syrup but it seems like a strange fit for TIki drinks. Like the very anti-thesis of tropical

Mike, I agree, not tropical. But as an ingredient it can do some cool things when carefully mixed with dark rums, whiskies, and scotches.

Test with a dark spirit (rum or whiskey,) couple dashes of walnut bitters, and a bit of maple syrup instead of simple syrup. Mix and serve neat or serve up by stirring with ice to chill and then strain.

Rum Babalu

2 parts Kirk and Sweeney® 12 Year Rum

¾ part fresh lime juice

½ part maple syrup

1 part ginger beer

1 dash of Angostura® bitters
Add all ingredients in a shaker except ginger beer.
Add ice.
Shake well until chilled.
Strain over fresh ice.
Top with ginger beer.
Glassware:
Double Rocks
Ice:
Cubes
Garnish:
Orange peel
no longer on the menu at Tommy Bahama and some of the newer bartenders don’t know how to make one or they don’t have the Maple Syrup. I make em often at home and it ain’t a Babalu without the M S.
Cheers
P S, I don’t know why the #’s and ampersand appear before the ingredients-try to ignore thgem

[ Edited by: nui 'umi 'umi 2018-07-18 20:21 ]

Here ya go David.

Rum Babalu

2 parts Kirk and Sweeney 12 Year Rum
¾ part fresh lime juice
½ part maple syrup
1 part ginger beer
1 dash of Angostura bitters
Add all ingredients in a shaker except ginger beer.
Add ice.
Shake well until chilled.
Strain over fresh ice.
Top with ginger beer.

Glassware:Double Rocks
Ice:Cubes
Garnish:Orange peel

Fiji Blackout is a good drink. Basically a daiquiri with Maple syrup instead of simple.

FIJI BLACKOUT

1 1/2 oz. lime juice
1 oz. light maple syrup
4 oz. dark rum

Stir ingredients well in a mixing glass, and pour over 2 champagne glasses filled with finely crushed ice.

THANKS for sharing the recipes. More good rum and maple syrup cocktails for us to play with.