Discover Acerum, a maple eau-de-vie

Acerum is a unique product in the world and still little known in Quebec. Indeed, we (almost) wrongly think that this spirit is obtained solely from maple syrup, or even that it is a maple liqueur. Here is the difference 👉 🍁

🍁 Acerum – It is a eau-de-vie obtained exclusively by the distillation of alcohol resulting from the fermentation of concentrated Quebec maple sap (maple water, concentrated maple water or maple syrup). The designation is reserved for spirits whose manufacturing complies with the rules established by the Union of Maple Spirit Distillers.

🍁 Maple liqueur – Maple liqueurs are blends of strong alcohol and maple syrup. Liqueur is a drink produced from an alcohol, a combination of alcohol, sweetened and added with one or more aromas.

Established rules, in brief :

• Only Quebec maple water, Quebec maple water concentrate or Quebec maple syrup can be used as raw materials for fermentation, in addition to water, yeasts and additives. fermentation. No other ingredients may be used in the manufacture of the Products.
• 100% of each product must have been fermented, distilled and bottled by the member at its distillery located in Quebec. In the case of a member of a cooperative of artisan producers, the distillation may have been carried out at this cooperative.
• No alcohol, coloring, caramel, maple water, maple water concentrate, maple syrup or any other sweetener, flavoring or substance whatsoever may be added after distillation. Only the maceration of wood, carbonized or not, is accepted as a flavoring process, but is not considered as aging.
• Acerum can be aged or not. Aging must take place in new or used wooden barrels.

Personally, I only dipped my lips in Acerum several years ago. So I remedied the situation by tasting 6 products. Let me introduce them to you 👉

🍁 White Acerum from Shefford Distillery : “White Acerum is pure and unaged. It therefore only retained the delicate natural maple aromas that passed through the still. Lively and peppery, it leaves a slight taste of maple in the aftertaste. Acerum is a worthy representative of the Quebec terroir. » My tasting notes: Light taste of maple in the aftertaste, floral note, the taste of alcohol is more present and slightly rounded. Free product* Available at the SAQ

🍁 Acerum brown from Distillerie Shefford : “Its aging in oak barrels gives it aromas of caramel and candied pear. Lively on the palate, slightly mineral, it has a taste of cinnamon with a delicate finish of maple sugar and bitter orange. Acerum is a worthy representative of the Quebec terroir. » My tasting notes: Note of maple sugar/cinnamon/vanilla and creamy. Free product* Available at the SAQ

🍁 White Acerum from FOVE : “From the fermentation of maple syrup, Fove White Acerum “is distinguished by its delicate aromas of crunchy pear and citrus, enhanced with notes of fern, white pepper and sap, to offer a long and creamy mouthfeel reminiscent of the sweetness of a brown caramel. »  My tasting notes: Fruity/pear/vegetal/orange blossom note, very sweet in taste and slightly round in the mouth. Free product* Available at the SAQ

🍁 Amber Acerum from FOVE : “FOVE Amber Acerum, resulting from double distillation, is aged between five and eight months in two types of oak barrels: old bourbon barrels, bringing notes of vanilla, caramel, oak and hazelnut, and old rum barrels, for a touch of tropical fruits, black cherry and spices. The alcohol is then adjusted to 40% alcohol/volume with osmosis water. » My tasting notes: Very delicate, notes of vanilla and hazelnut and creamy. Free product* Available at the SAQ

🍁 Acerum Distillerie O’Dwyer : “At the beginning of summer 2020 the Gaspésienne N°20 arrived, which takes its name from a fishing boat from the mid-20th century, and which is the last of 50 to exist, restored . It is an Acerum obtained by the distillation of alcohol resulting from the fermentation of concentrated maple sap. » My tasting notes: Caramel/apple/woody note, round in the mouth and delicate. Available at the SAQ

🍁 Acerum aged 1 year from Distillerie St-Laurent : “This third expression of our Acerum is made mainly with a lighter maple syrup, which gives it delicate fruity and vegetal notes. This time, we used two older barrels in the blend to add complexity and balance. » My tasting notes: The maple syrup is more present, notes of m aple butter/candied fruit/apple and sweet. Available at the SAQ

📝Observation? I discovered a very funky brandy that sometimes leans towards sake (in my opinion), sometimes towards the salty and smoky side of mezcal (according to Émile). The presence of maple is much less “in your face” and much less sweet than I expected and I prefer the aged and sweet Acerum. It must be said that I am a big fan of rum!

Other Acerum producers : Témiscouata Distillery / Domaine Acer / Domaine Small / Puyjalon Distillery / Mitis Distillery / La Ponce Distillery / Rhumerie du Théâtre / Secret Society Distillery

Cocktail ideas with Acerum : Acerum comes from the contraction of the Latin words “Acer” meaning maple and English “Rum” meaning Rum. So, don’t hesitate to replace Rum with Acerum in your cocktails! Also, I realized that it was a really versatile alcohol, it can be used in almost any “sauce”. Try it as a sour, mojitos, paloma, daiquiri, old fashion and why not as an espresso martini?

I hope I have made you want to taste this 100% local product and don’t forget to take part in Acerum week!