Mason Jar Maple Martini

This time of year, throughout the northeast of the United States and Canada, the skylines are dotted with tall galvanized smoke stacks sending out billowing smoke and calling out a beautiful message…

“Today, we are making sugar.”

And in backyards and driveways throughout the same area, people like us, have made their own version of a "Sugar Shack".

And the smell. There are no words to fully describe the smell of being right in the sugar steam.

We spend our time by the fire plotting all the ways we can use syrup, besides on pancakes.

“Halfway-there syrup" ends up in early morning coffee, there is a sinful cookie recipe and of course there is pancakes.

And then - there is the Maple Martini – in a mason jar, of course.

We first discovered Maple Martinis on a weekend getaway for our anniversary in Lake Placid. We had spent a day biking, shopping and eating. We ended our night at a sweet little inn on the lake and saw a maple martini on the menu. Hubby fell head over heals in love.

We went back the next night, this time sitting at the bar so we could watch how this complicated drink was made.

Turns out, it couldn’t be any easier.

Ingredients: Maple Syrup (the real deal) , Vodka and Ice.

The way they made it that night was 2 parts syrup to 1 part vodka.

Most of us around here find it a little too sweet – so we approach it more with equal parts syrup to vodka.

The grade of syrup is also up to you. Usually I prefer darker syrup on my french toast, but for this I do prefer the lighter Grade A. As far as Vodka, again – your choice. But the key is for the be fresh out of the freezer and really cold.

To add the sugar to the rim, dip the top of the jar in syrup and then in sugar.

Combine, shake over ice – and serve.

And this is just the beginning, next week I will be sharing more maple syrup recipes – but not on the sweet side.

These are all savory and oh so yummy recipes.

Thanks so much for reading.