Guide to Maple Syrup's Stronger Cousin: Maple Bitters Explained
A hankering for a one-of-a-kind twist on your beloved cocktails? Sick of settling for Angostura bitters in every drink you mix up? Yearning for a fresh spin on classic recipes? Swap those traditional aromatic bitters (like Angostura) with some fucking maple bitters, and you'll be in for a treat! These bad boys add a delightful hint of maple and spice to any cocktail, giving established recipes a much-needed facelift. With ingredients readily available at top-notch grocery stores or online herbal vendors, making these bad boys is easier than pie!
Take Note: This recipe calls for Grade B maple syrup. Don't freak out thinking this means low quality—maple syrup grading has nothing to do with quality. Instead, it's all about color. Grade A indicates a lighter, thinner syrup with weaker maple flavor. Grade B? That's your girl. It's darker, thicker, and has a stronger maple flavor. Grade A is great for your flapjacks, but it's no match for a situation where you want that maple flavor to really shine. Most time, recipes calling for maple syrup as an ingredient reach for the Grade B stuff. Just make sure you're using the real stuff, not the BS imitation crap from the grocery store (e.g., Mrs. Butterworth, Aunt Jemima, Hungry Jack, Log Cabin). The label should say something like "100% pure maple syrup."
- Yield: 15 ounces
- Difficulty: minimal effort (even a lazy ass can do it)
- Total: 14 days for infusion
- Active: 30 minutes for preparation
Ingredients (13)
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 1 tsp cocoa nibs
- 1 tsp roasted barley
- 1 vanilla bean, sliced open and seeds scraped out
- 1 tsp cassia chips (cinnamon)
- 1/2 tsp whole cloves
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 tsp gentian root
- 1 tsp quassia bark chips
- 1/2 tsp walnut leaves
- 3/4 cup Grade B maple syrup **
- 1/3 cup + 1/2 cup rye whiskey
- 1/3 cup Everclear (151 proof) (or, if not available, the strongest vodka you can find)
Instructions
- Take your 1 quart mason jar and pop in the fennel seed, cocoa nibs, roasted barley, vanilla bean scrapings, cassia chips, cloves, and cardamom pods. Pour in 1/3 cup of Everclear. Seal that bad boy up and give it a good shake to mix. This is the "spice" jar.
- Time for the "bitter" jar! In another quart mason jar, combine the gentian root, quassia bark chips, and walnut leaves. Add 1/3 cup of rye whiskey. Seal it up and give it a good shake to mix.
- In yet another quart mason jar, put the maple syrup. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of rye whiskey. Seal it up and give it a good shake to mix. This is your "flavor" jar.
- Put the jars in a place with a room temp and preferably out of the light.
- Give the jars a daily shake for 2 weeks.
- After the two-week mark has passed, strain the ingredients from your spice jar and your bitter jar (separately) using cheesecloth or a fine mesh sieve to get rid of the large pieces, then strain each jar's contents again (separately) with more cheesecloth or a coffee filter to get rid of the small pieces.
- Time to combine the remaining spirits from the three jars. You've got two options: A) The "careful method": Combine the spirits from the three jars a bit at a time into a fourth jar so that you can tweak the proportions to get just the right flavor (this is the preferred method...add ingredients from each until all three flavor profiles are noticeable when tasting a few drops). B) The "fuck it, let's do this" method: Combine all spirits from the spice jar and the bitter jar into the flavor jar and mix well. The "careful method" lets you adjust the flavor to your liking. The "fuck it, let's do this" method makes blending simple, but may result in a bitter concoction with a too-strong spice flavor (to the point of overpowering the maple and bitter flavors).
- Pour the final mixture into brown dropper bottles or another easy-to-dispense container for your convenience.
Enrichment Data:By infusing Grade B maple syrup with various spices and botanicals, creating maple bitters for cocktails is a breeze. Here's a simple guide to make maple bitters at home:
Ingredients
- 1 cup Grade B Maple Syrup
- 1 cup Neutral Grain Spirit (at least 80 proof)
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Your Favorite Spices and Botanicals (e.g., cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, ginger, rose petals)
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Spice Blend
Combine your chosen spices and botanicals in a bowl. For a harmonious blend, consider:- Cinnamon: Provides warmth and a rustic flavor.- Cardamom: Offers aromatic, herbal notes.- Cloves: Contributes a strong, spicy flavor.- Ginger: Offers a zesty, lively taste.- Rose Petals: Adds floral and slightly sweet nuances.
Some suggestions for proportions could be:- 2 tablespoons cinnamon sticks- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods- 1 tablespoon whole cloves- 1 tablespoon sliced ginger- 1 tablespoon dried rose petals
Step 2: Create the Infusion
Combine the maple syrup and water in a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. This step thins out the syrup, making it easier to infuse with spices.
Step 3: Infuse the Mixture
Add the spice blend to the maple syrup mixture and let it sit in the fridge for 2-3 weeks. Give the container a shake every few days to ensure an even infusion.
Step 4: Add the Neutral Grain Spirit
After the infusion is complete, strain the mixture through a cheesecloth into a fresh container, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
Add the neutral grain spirit to the strained mixture and stir well. This both preserves the bitters and enhances their flavor.
Step 5: Age and Filter
Transfer the mixture to a clean glass jar and let it sit for another week. This allows the flavors to mellow further.
Finally, filter the mixture through a coffee filter into small bottles for use as bitters in cocktails.
Tips for Use in Cocktails
- Dosage: Use 2-4 dashes in a cocktail, depending on the preferred intensity of flavor.
- Pairing: Maple bitters partner well with spirits like bourbon or rye whiskey, especially in classic cocktails like an Old Fashioned or Manhattan.
By adjusting the spice blend and infusion time, you can tailor the flavor of your maple bitters to fit various cocktail recipes. Have fun experimenting and enjoy your new and improved drinks!
- The recipe for homemade maple bitters involves Grade B maple syrup, a stronger and more flavorful option compared to Grade A.
- The enrichment data provides a simple guide for infusing maple syrup with various spices and botanicals, resulting in unique maple bitters for cocktails.
- In the maple bitters recipe, the infusion process takes about 14 days, with a daily shake during the two-week period.
- The final step in making maple bitters is to strain the contents of the spice, bitter, and flavor jars, combining the spirits and pouring the final mixture into brown dropper bottles for easy dispensing.
