(Saint-Joachim-de-Shefford) On the plate as in the glass, maple has always been synonymous with sugar. About twenty alcohol producers in Quebec are trying to break this preconceived idea. They develop original, refreshing and sugar-free drinks with this typical local product.
Posted at 11:00 a.m.
Behind the large silver evaporator that activates during sugaring off, a door leads to the place where the Jocka farm drinks are produced. In the cellar, the stainless steel vats and oak barrels resemble the place where wine is produced. However, it is not the grape that ferments, but the maple.
Producer Alicia Goodhue dips her pipette into a barrel. The golden liquid she draws from it expresses notes of vanilla and maple. The volume and texture in the mouth are similar to those of a wine with its 13% alcohol. The attack is full of aromas, but no sugar.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Alicia Goodhue of Jocka Farm is happy with her product.
“I tasted all the maple drinks that were made in Quebec before starting, explains Alicia Goodhue, who has been running the Jocka farm since 2016. I told myself that I wanted to create a product that was neither bland nor sweet. . »
This maple drink aged in oak barrels is not yet marketed. It will be the young company’s third alcohol, after a drink without cask aging, called Erro, as well as a maple-based sparkling wine flavored with hops and balsam fir.
Challenge completed
In the Lac-Mégantic region, Stéphanie Viger also produces maple drinks. The businesswoman was looking for a way to demonstrate that the terroir influences the taste of syrup, as it does for wine. “I quickly realized that I wouldn’t be able to showcase my terroir by making cones or maple taffy,” explains the owner of Domaine des Coulées. I had the idea of making an alcohol out of it. »
Like Alicia Goodhue, Stéphanie Viger did not want to produce a sweet maple liqueur or flavor another alcohol with maple. She wanted to offer a dry product, similar to wine. However, maple alcohol is much more complex to develop than she imagined. The two basic ingredients, water and maple syrup, are difficult to ferment. The first does not have enough sugar and the second, the syrup, contains too much.
To solve this problem, producers dilute the syrup in water, as with mead. They then add yeast to start the fermentation.
Michaël Parent brewed beer before embarking on the production of maple alcohol. He also noticed that maple fermentation involves several difficulties. “Maple sap is neutral,” he says. You have to correct the acidity so that it is not flat in the mouth. »
To add crunch, many maple drinks are fermented with berries, others are sparkling.
The sugar war
While making maple alcohol is complex, the real challenge is to convince consumers to taste it. Because the prejudice is tenacious: everyone believes that maple drinks are sweet.
If you say maple, there is a psychological barrier that arises between the consumer and the product. People think of sugar. They imagine themselves drinking a can of syrup. Nevertheless, it is not the case.
Stéphanie Viger, owner of Domaine des Coulées
Despite this difficulty, the Régie des alcools du Québec (RACJ) has observed “some growth” in the artisanal production of maple-based alcohol. Twenty-three companies are in production and five have applied for permits.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Alicia Goodhue will add 3000 taps to her harvest.
Alicia Goodhue’s production is still small, but the approximately 600 bottles of her Erro cuvée are quickly finding takers on her website. So much so that the producer will add 3,000 taps to her harvest next year.
Two Suggestions
With bubbles
PHOTO FROM THE MILLE BOIS WEBSITE
Mille bois, traditional method
The bubbles of this maple-based sparkling wine are abundant and very fine. Nothing surprising: the cuvée is produced according to the traditional method, like a champagne. In this refreshing and invigorating drink, the maple taste is subtle on the finish and everything is very dry. The pairing will be sublime at the sugar shack. For the more daring, Michaël Parent also produces a cuvée inspired by the oxidative wines of the Jura. The aromas of nuts and spices are very complex.
Mille bois, traditional method, 12%, $24.99
Maple in amphora
PHOTO FROM THE DOMAINE DES COULÉS WEBSITE
Amphora, from the Domaine des Coulées
The bet is daring, because the fermentation of maple is difficult, but Stéphanie Viger, of the Domaine des Coulées, uses the amphora to develop a cuvée. And as is the case with wine, this container does not impart aromas to the drink, but adds depth to it. In the glass, the maple flavors are very present. They are found on the palate, where the ample texture is supported by aromas of yellow fruits. This product is not quite dry, but the balance is successful. Its raspberry flavored cuvée, La rose des neiges, is not available at the moment, but it is worth the detour.
Domaine des Coulées, Amphora, 13.5%, $27