Your St. Thomas MAPLE SYRUP Guide

The Most Canadian Thing To Do

Maple Syrup thrives in a cold climate just as we Canadians have thrived in the cold. This makes maple syrup something we hold dearly to our hearts as part of our Canadian heritage.

​Extracted from trees in which the beginning starch is converted into sugar from the rising sap, maple syrup enjoys a unique harvesting process. As late Winter and early Spring approaches, the harvesting of maple syrup poses opportunity for activities and festivals!

Check out our Maple Syrup Guide below to help you navigate this delicious time of year!

​Title photo courtesy of Palmer's Maple Syrup

The Fritter Shop
The Fritter Shop brings a fresh flavour to what dessert can be, with all of their fritters made fresh daily using ingredients from Ontario suppliers. Today we look at their maple pecan fritter, it has a delicious maple filling with real pecans mixed with their homemade custard and wrapped in handcrafted dough. Dusted in a white fine sugar. Look for the triangle shape!

The Fritter Shop suggests you pair their maple pecan fritter and with a warm cup of your favourite hot cocoa or latte! The snuggle is real.

Spicer's Bakery
This bakery has a ton of history, going back to its origins in 1950s Aylmer when Dave Spicer opened the first location. Over the years customers have come to expect great quality baked goods and donuts. Today, Spicer's has 3 locations, in Aylmer, St. Thomas and Lambeth.

Their commitment to quality is evident in all their baked goods, but today we are focusing on the Maple Bacon Donut and Maple Dip Donut. These two delectable treats are sure to impress! We are particularly fond of the maple bacon combo of sweet and salty!

​Photo from The Fritter Shop

Not only do we have syrup, but we have other maple inspired products for you to buy here in St. Thomas!

• Briwood Farm Market: Palmer's Maple Syrup - Sugar Candies - Maple Suckers - Living Alive Granola Maple Walnut
• Berry Hill: Palmer's Maple Syrup - Maple Syrup production supplies 
• Streamliners Espresso Bar - Maple Butter
• Picard's Peanuts - Maple Caramel Corn

Palmer’s Maple Syrup Festival
This annual festival is hosted on location at 34308 Lake Line, Port Stanley and runs every weekend in March and Wednesday of March Break. The event details include a woods excursion, pioneer storyteller, log-sawing, leaf branding, face painting, pancake and waffles breakfast and all things Maple Syrup! Truly an informative event surrounding our Canadian heritage and the many sectors of Maple Syrup harvesting.

A day spent at the Palmer Maple Syrup Festival will surely make you a come back next year! If you have any further questions regarding Palmer’s Maple Syrup Festival feel free to contact the festival creators at (519) 769-0007.

Springwater Maple Syrup Festival
This years festival offers many fun activities for all! Enjoy wagon rides through the Springwater Forest. Tour the old-fashioned sugar shanty for demonstrations on maple syrup production. Buy some maple products. Even dine at the pancake house, operated by local community organizations.

Springwater Conservation is located at 8079 Springwater Road and the Festival is held every weekend March 2nd until the 24th. 

​Photo from Springwater Conservation

Maple Bock - Railway City Brewing
Maple Bock includes notes of molasses and dark maple syrup as well as dark fruit such as raisin and fig. On the palate, plum and toffee are foremost with a hint of chocolate. Like a good lager, Maple Bock is highly drinkable and impeccably clean with a crisp finish. It has a hint of sweetness with a minimal hop profile and produces a creamy mocha head that is dense in texture with little lacing.

AVAILABLE: FEBRUARY - MARCH Style: Doppelbock | Body: Medium/Full | Aroma: Molasses, dark maple syrup, dark fruit (i.e. raisin & fig) | Taste: Plum, toffee, hint of chocolate & sweetness, minimal hop profile, crisp finish ABV: 5.8% - IBU: 30

Maple Wine - Quai Du Vin Estate Winery
The Maple Wine is made from locally sourced, partially evaporated maple sap and slowly fermented over several months to preserve the golden colour, natural sweet aromas and flavours.

The Wolverine - Streamliners Espresso Bar
The Wolverine is the latest Streamliner cappuccino based drink (two shots of espresso), spiced with whole cinnamon, and sweetened with Rodgers Maple Syrup! Did you know all of their espresso based drinks are named after Streamliners? And Streamliners are aluminum clad locomotives that ran through the CASO Station in the 1930s and 1940s!

​Photo from Streamliners Espresso Bar