JERICHO, Vt. — Maple Open House Weekend is Vermont’s most anticipated spring event, bringing an estimated 30,000 visitors to tour the sugar houses and meet the sugar makers responsible for leading the nation in maple syrup production (nearly 1.8 million gallons averaged over the past 3 seasons). The weekend celebrates the current season’s crop and this year’s event has expanded the offerings and activities for visitors by partnering with local businesses who specialize in their own craft and support Vermont’s maple industry by including maple in their ingredients, on their menus, and offered for sale at their locations.
When visiting sugar houses on March 24th and 25th, visitors can expect warm welcomes from their sugar maker hosts, eager to educate and share with the public the process of making maple syrup from sap – an inside look at the hard work that goes into producing each jug of syrup. Traditional Open House activities include sampling syrup; tours of the woods; pancake breakfasts; horse-drawn sleigh rides; sugar-on-snow parties; and plenty of maple products to taste including maple donuts, maple cotton candy and maple creemees.
Event weekend visitors can also expect to be impressed by the diversity of maple as an ingredient as showcased by our partner businesses. Each partner capitalizes on the flavor qualities of maple as a key component of recipes and menu items appearing throughout the weekend. A few of the stops visitors shouldn’t miss include Citizen Cider’s Tasting Room, to try their new limited release Tree Tapper made with maple syrup; Shacksbury Cider’s Tasting Room featuring a cider that is barrel aged in old WhistlePig Whiskey barrels and finished with a kiss of maple syrup; Saxton’s River Distillery, featuring samples of their Sapling Maple Liqueur, Maple Bourbon and Maple Rye, all made using local Vermont maple syrup; Switchback Brewing Co. featuring their signature Switchback Ale Maple Ice Cream Floats made with Lake Champlain Chocolate’s vanilla ice cream and a maple syrup drizzle, and of course 14th Star Brewing where visitors can always enjoy craft brews made with maple including their Maple Breakfast Stout. For a full menu of maple, visitors can dine at partner restaurants like Mary’s at Baldwin Creek who will be featuring special maple appetizers, entrees and desserts alongside other local ingredients as well as unique maple craft cocktails.
Visitors are encouraged to travel the state to see how widely maple is produced and discover how maple has expanded its traditional uses as a breakfast topper to become the natural sweetener and flavor of choice as demonstrated by partnering businesses. To ensure visitors make the most of the weekend, the event web page also provides a listing of lodging options that are uniquely Vermont.
For more information about the weekend and to see the growing list of participating sugarhouses and partnering businesses, visit: www.vermontmaple.org/mohw.
–Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association
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