LOCALadk Magazine

LOCALadk 42 As is the case in Vermont and Canada, where sugaring is almost a spiritual endeavor, locals would never dare use an alternative to the real product. Whether a home user or restaurant chef, the use of authentic Adirondack maple syrup is the only way to go. "I love the versatility of real maple syrup. Our local maple syrups can be used in a variety of ways during any mealtime and even in our cocktails. I use local maple syrup in our "Adirondack Buck" cocktail, a terroir-infused version of a classic Gin Buck. e maple syrup replaces simple syrup beautifully and provides that much-sought-aer local element." -Chef Curtiss Hemm – Carriage House Cooking School Peru, New York | www.carriagehousecookingschool.com Being raised in the Adirondacks inspires local businesses to find creative ways of expressing their love of nature's sweetener. From Mike ("Twig") McGlynn's Lake Placid Spirits' version of cranberry-maple vodka ("Alpenglow") and birch syrup— lavored whiskey ("Woodchopper") to local restaurant chefs' use of maple syrup to flavor roasted vegetables, wild-caught salmon or rainbow trout, or Ben, Ash, and Wilder Clark's totally unique coffee brewed with maple sap instead of common water ("Sappy Joe," as they call it), true Adirondackers are always looking for new ways to incorporate the sugar of the trees. When asked if the work of sugaring ever gets old, our contributors responded with a resounding "No!" "Although most sugar makers will admit that by the end of the season we are pretty worn out and ready for it to be over, as soon as we cap the last bottle most of us immediately start planning for the next year. I think I became hooked when I was about 10 years old, when I saw my grandmother making syrup on a backyard pan while gathering sap from a few buckets in the yard. It's been a never-ending process of expansion and improvement since then." -Randy and Jill Galusha – Toad Hill Maple Farm "Even when Ben sets multiple alarms to get up in the wee hours of night to make sure sap tanks haven't overflowed, even when we're out snow shoeing the woods to fix lines that squirrels have munched on, I think when you are living out what you love every day, you find contentment in even the mundane. We feel blessed to call this our life." -Ben, Ash, and Wilder Clark – Sacred Roots Maple Adirondack life and maple syrup go hand-in-hand. Any spring visit to the Park should include a trip to one of our many syrup producers. Included here are just a few: www.visitadirondacks.com/adirondack-maple-syrup

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