Maple Old Fashioned
An Old Fashioned with maple syrup instead of sugar. One substitution, and the drink turns autumnal without losing its shape.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Add the bourbon, maple syrup and both bitters to a mixing glass.
Fill with ice and stir for 25-30 seconds, until the glass frosts.
Strain over one large cube in a rocks glass.
Express an orange peel over the surface, rub it round the rim and drop it in.
A thoughtful finish
- Use a darker grade of maple syrup. Grade A dark or amber has the woody depth the drink wants; the pale delicate grades get lost entirely.
- A quarter-ounce is enough. Maple is sweeter and more assertive than simple syrup by volume, so the usual Old Fashioned measure would overshoot.
- Stir properly — 25 to 30 seconds. Maple syrup is viscous and needs the time to incorporate fully.
Common mistakes
- Using pancake syrup, which is corn syrup and maple flavouring and tastes of neither.
- Pouring a full half-ounce as you would with simple syrup, which makes it cloying.
- Shaking it. Spirit-forward and stirred, like any Old Fashioned.
A few good questions.
How much maple replaces simple syrup?
Roughly half. Maple is sweeter and heavier, so a quarter-ounce of maple does the job of a half-ounce of 1:1 simple syrup.
Which grade of maple syrup?
Grade A dark or amber. The very pale grades are delicate and disappear; the darkest grades are excellent if you like a bolder drink.
Does it work with rye?
Yes, and it is arguably better — rye's spice against maple's woodiness is a very good pairing. It also works with aged rum and with añejo tequila.
Is it just a seasonal gimmick?
No. The Old Fashioned's sweetener has always been a variable — demerara, honey and maple are all legitimate choices, not novelties.
Variations
- Old Fashioned — The original, with sugar or simple syrup.
- Gold Rush — Bourbon, honey and lemon.
- Oaxaca Old Fashioned — Reposado and mezcal with agave syrup.
- Rum Old Fashioned — Aged rum with demerara syrup.
Where it comes from
c. 2000s · United States / Canada
A modern variation with no single documented author — maple as a cocktail sweetener became widespread in North American bars through the 2000s craft revival, alongside honey and demerara. The logic is sound rather than novel: the Old Fashioned template is spirit, sugar, bitters and water, and the sugar has always been an open variable. Maple brings a woody, slightly savoury sweetness that meets bourbon’s new-oak vanilla particularly well.
Sources
- David Wondrich, Imbibe!, 2007 (book)
- Balance and Columbian Repository, first printed definition of 'cocktail', 1806 (periodical)
Strength. About 1.57 US standard drinks at an estimated 33.5% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
A keeper?
Save this drink for your next cocktail hour.
Saved in this browser.The next great drink
might already be on your shelf.
Choose your bottles and mixers. Discover what you can make.