SUNY ESF Unveils Bourbon Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup for the Holidays

11/26/2025

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Nov. 26, 2025 — Move over sugar plums, the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is sweetening the season with a limited-edition bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup, perfect for holiday celebrations.

“We’ve been wanting to try this for a while,” said Jill Rahn, ESF forest resource analyst, having learned about the process at the annual NYS Mid-Winter Maple Classic conference. “We like to try something new every few years, and this year we had enough syrup to try this.”

Rahn headed out to Skaneateles with a coworker to Last Shot Distillery to grab a used bourbon barrel for the project. ESF aged 30 gallons of its amber syrup in the barrel for nine months, infusing rich, warm flavors.

“This syrup isn’t just for breakfast,” Rahn said. “It’s a great addition to desserts, coffees, teas, glazes, and cocktails.”

Because bourbon must be aged in virgin white oak, using them for secondary purposes adds a level of sustainability to the project.

The use of virgin white oak “is the law,” said Distinguished Teaching Professor Donald Leopold, dendrologist and bourbon aficionado. “White oak” here refers to any oak species in the white oak subgroup (besides alba, THE white oak, includes bur, chestnut, chinkapin, and swamp white oaks).

“White oak is used because of its unique characteristics,” said Leopold. “It holds liquid without leaking and enhances flavor.” White oak’s cellular structure makes it watertight but allows the bourbon to move through the wood. During bourbon aging, typically two to 15-plus years, the spirit interacts with the charred interior of the barrel, caramelizing sugars and creating complex flavors.

The bourbon’s flavors remain in the wood and can transfer to the next liquid that inhabits it – in this case, syrup. For ESF’s syrup, the barrel produced warm vanilla notes, said Rahn.

Find this limited-edition syrup at ESF’s annual Christmas tree sales at Heiberg Forest Christmas Tree Hill, 7393 Maple Ridge Road, Tully, Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 29 through Dec. 14, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

About SUNY ESF

The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.