Bartenders use maple syrup to sweeten cocktails, adding a cozy element to some of our favorites, such as old-fashioneds, whiskey sours, and even mojitos. It adds a hint of a woodsy vibe to every drink it touches and can elevate even the most mundane cocktail. But by now, it’s not necessarily new. You’ve probably already tried a maple cocktail, or even a pre-infused liquor or beer that’s been brewed with maple syrup. Maple syrup is standard on the scene now, a returning cast member on the stage of cocktail sweeteners. Its mysterious cousin birch syrup, however, brings a surprising new flavor to the spotlight – one that lends itself to top-shelf cocktails, creating an even more intriguing and nuanced experience.
Birch syrup is rarer, more difficult to make, and more expensive than maple syrup ($42.95 pretax for an 8.4-fluid-ounce plastic jug). Its flavors are also very different – savory and woodsy with hints of sweetness and notes of fruit, caramel, and spice. But the two syrups are produced in the same way. Trees are tapped for their sap, which is boiled down into syrup, packaged, and sold. You may have heard of birch beer, which is also made from the sap of birch trees. Most of the world’s birch syrup comes from Alaska and is produced only in the spring, over the course of about a month. In short, birch syrup is an exclusive sweetener that is somewhat difficult and expensive to acquire, making it a VIP cocktail ingredient that takes every drink to the next level.
Use birch syrup in different cocktails depending on when it was harvested
Birch syrup tastes different depending on when in the very short Alaskan spring it was harvested. The sap is pulled from the trees in three segments called runs. The first or early run is harvested in the very beginning of the season, the mid run is the second batch of the season, and the last run is the third and final batch. The syrup in each run has its own characteristics, colors, and flavors.
And that combination is unique each and every year depending on weather, rainfall, and other conditions in the forest. First run birch syrup is usually the sweetest and lightest of the three batches. It can help you make the best old-fashioned you’ve ever had, especially if you’re using Pappy Van Winkle or another top-shelf whiskey. First run birch syrup balances out the bitters in the cocktail with its sweeter profile, also drawing out the intricate flavors in a fine whiskey.
The stronger tart, spice, and woodsy notes of mid run birch syrup provides a great twist on a whiskey sour, especially when paired with Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon and a standard orange and cherry garnish. Late run birch is the tangiest of the three runs with less sweetness, pairing very well with things like coffee and blue cheese. Try late run birch syrup in a Belvedere martini with blue cheese-stuffed olives for garnish, in this winter woods espresso martini, or in Alton Brown’s Fernet-Branca espresso martini.
