Maple syrup has commonly been used in exotic cocktails since the birth of the “Tiki” cocktail style, dating back to the early 1930’s.

Donn Beach, aka “Don the Beachcomber,” is regarded as the father of Tiki cocktails and the exotic cocktail culture that followed.

Donn often used maple syrup in his exotic cocktails with a variety of Caribbean rums, spices, lime and pineapple. The Waterville Grog is a nod to Donn and Tiki pop culture that commonly incorporated our nation’s favorite syrup.

Winters can be cold and hard on a Maritimer, and sometimes we just need to get away from it all, so as Don the Beachcomber once said, “if you can’t get to paradise, I’ll bring it to you.”

Cheers!

If you can’t get to paradise, I’ll bring it to you.

Don the Beachcomber

Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pineapple
  • ¼ cup ​melted butter
  • ¼ cup ​NB maple syrup
  • ¼ cup ​brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 oz Canadiana (or rum)

Instructions

Maple Pineapple

Start up your grill, to preheat.

Cut pineapple into vertical slice, after youve removed the skin,
top, bottom and core.

  1. Cut pineapple into vertical slice, after youve removed the skin, top, bottom and core. Don’t cut the slices too thin, or they might fall apart on the grill.
  2. Place ¼ cup of butter in a glass bowl or a glass measuring cup.
    Microwave until it’s liquid.
  3. Add ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup NB maple syrup into butter and stir
    until it has an even consistency.
  4. Place pineapple on the grill and begin to brush the
    butter/sugar/syrup blend onto the pineapple slices.
  5. Sprinkle cinnamon onto the slices.
  6. Grill each side for about 5 minutes, then rotate with tongs, repeat
    brushing and sprinkling of cinnamon.
  7. Once every side has been grilled with visible grill marks, remove pineapple.

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The cocktail:

  1. Juice the grilled pineapple in a juicer or a blender. (Left over pulp from juicing is perfect for an ice-cream or waffle topping.)
  2. Place 2oz of the pineapple juice into a shaker or mason jar.
  3. Add ½oz fresh lime juice.
  4. ½oz NB maple syrup.
  5. 2oz Canadiana.
  6. Add a few ice cubes into the shaker or jar, then cover and shake for
    5 seconds.
  7. Strain liquid into a 12oz glass filled with crushed ice.
  8. Garnish with a few leaves from the head of the pineapple, a slice of
    lime and grilled pineapple.
  9. (Optional, but highly recommended) Add a dash of Angostura bitters
    to the top of the drink for aromatics.
Moonshine Creek's Waterville Grog

Contributor

Jeremiah Clark, Co-owner of Moonshine Creek Distillery

Jeremiah Clark is the co-owner of Moonshine Creek Distillery in Waterville, NB. Along with his brother Joshua Clark, they invented the truly Canadian spirit, “Canadiana,” a rum-like spirit derived from maple sugar. As a true cocktail enthusiast, Jeremiah was happy to create tiki inspired drink, using a classic ingredient that people may not realize was a staple in early tiki cocktail culture — maple syrup. Follow Jeremiah for lots more innovative spirits and cocktails!