Maple Leaf – Deliciously Arboreal

Last week I was looking for a new cocktail to try out and stumbled across the Maple Leaf on Anvil’s drink menu.  The thought of a whiskey sour sweetened with maple syrup was more than I could pass up.  I did a bit of searching around and found the recipe on Bobby Heugel’s site.  No coincidence really, Bobby is one of the owners and bartenders at Anvil.  First, let’s talk about Bobby’s recipe.

Maple Leaf (Drink Dogma)

2 oz  Bourbon
3/4 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

1) Combine in a shaker with ice
2) Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass

This drink has a fantastic combination of flavors.  The maple syrup fills in the complexity gap that bitters would fill in a classic whiskey sour.  The lemon adds just the right amount of sourness and the bourbon rounds things out.  My only complaint about this recipe is that it’s a touch sweet for me.  Onward fellow drinkers.

Maple Leaf (Cocktail Hacker)

2 oz  Bourbon
1/2 oz Maple Syrup
3/4 oz Lemon Juice

1) Combine in a shaker with ice
2) Shake and strain into chilled cocktail glass

Now we’re talking.  This version has all the complexity of the original with a touch less sweetness.  With only 3/4 oz of lemon juice (versus 1 oz in a classic whiskey sour) this drink is more about the bourbon and maple syrup interplay.  I’d recommend a good bourbon for this one.  I used Bulleit and, as always, enjoyed the extra spiciness from the rye.  I think Maker’s Mark 46 would also work tremendously well.  The added spice notes would harmonize with the maple syrup.  Whatever you choose this drink is well worth mixing up.  Thanks for the inspiration, Bobby.  Much appreciated!