Maple Craft Acinamon Syrup

Maple Craft Acinamon Syrup from Esplanda is a flavored bar syrup. The name points to two flavors, maple and a cinnamon-style spice, and that pairing defines how it works behind the bar. Syrups like this usually taste of caramelized, woody sweetness with a warm baking-spice finish, and they are thicker and more rounded than a plain sugar syrup. Check the label for exact sweetness, ingredients, and volume, since those aren't listed here. Because it combines maple and spice, it suits brown spirits best. In an Old Fashioned, swap it for the sugar cube or simple syrup. Start with a bar spoon (about 5 ml) per 60 ml of bourbon, rye, or aged rum, add two dashes of bitters, and stir over ice until cold. Taste before adding more, because a spiced syrup can overwhelm the spirit quickly. It also works in a whiskey sour in place of simple syrup, with lemon juice balancing the sweetness, and in a hot toddy with hot water, lemon, and a measure of whiskey. Outside of alcohol, it can sweeten coffee, chai, or hot cider, and a small pour over vanilla ice cream or pancakes is an easy way to use up a bottle. For serving, build stirred drinks over a single large ice cube in a double rocks glass. Shaken sours go in a chilled coupe or a rocks glass over fresh ice. Hot drinks suit a heatproof mug or a Irish-coffee-style glass. Keep the bottle capped and store it according to the label directions. Syrups with natural sugars are often best refrigerated after opening, but follow the label for the actual guidance on this one.