The Maple Leaf

This is our favorite new cocktail that we didn't even know we'd like and that came about through a chain of events.

Brian was away on a business trip last week and, while waiting for his return flight home, had a cocktail at the airport lounge - a bourbon Manhattan. On Saturday afternoon we were relaxing at home after running some errands and giving the pup a bath and he was in the mood for that same drink. We'd already experimented with the Maker's Mark Manhattan so he made a batch that we enjoyed while getting dressed to go out to dinner.

Dinner was at our favorite tapas place where there's usually an extensive list of interesting cocktails to choose from. But we kind of thought we should stick to bourbon after the Manhattan's we'd had at home. We actually didn't expect to find a bourbon cocktail on the menu but there was one, the Maple Leaf. Neither of us had heard of it before and we weren't sure about maple syrup in a drink but we figured we'd try and all I can say is...delicious!

We asked for the recipe and experimented at home the next day until we got the proportions just right. There was no doubt this was being added to our cocktail repertoire. Cheers!

Per Serving:
2 oz. Bourbon
1 oz. Maple syrup
1 oz. Lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Dash of angostura bitters

In a cocktail shaker, muddle the thyme leaves in the maple syrup until they are thoroughly broken up. Add the bourbon, lemon juice and bitters. Shake over ice and serve in a cocktail glass.

Note: We've seen variations of this recipe with and without the thyme and/or bitters. We've tried it without the thyme and we think the herb does add something. The drink is slightly sweeter without the bitters and we think the addition gives an interesting note but it's certainly optional. For a fun cocktail snack, serve the drink with a side of crispy bacon!