Tired of ads? Subscribers enjoy a distraction-free reading experience.
Click here to subscribe today or Login.

Bradley-Mann maple syrup has a number of maple products available.

DANVILLE – Do you love waffles with maple syrup on a snowy morning? Well, Northeastern Pennsylvania has seen its fair share of snowy mornings this winter, now it just needs its dose of maple syrup.

The Old Forge Brewing Company is celebrating a week of maple delights with food features guaranteed to satisfy any maple lover’s sweet tooth. The restaurant is finalizing the spread, but guarantee it will be bursting will maple flavor.

Maple Fest, March 3 through 8 will feature a specially brewed beer, a Maple Nut Brown Ale, made with local maple syrup. There will be coloring books and activities for the kids.

“We have had success with other fests and saw an opportunity to support the community,” said Jace Rovenolt, general manager at Old Forge Brewing Company. “We came up with the idea because the Montour Preserve teaches outdoor maple classes in the spring and we wanted to get people excited for the spring.”

The brewing company teamed up with the Endless Mountains Maple Syrup Producers Association to bring event goers an introductory course on maple products and how they are made. John Mann of Bradley-Mann Maple Syrup is conducting a class on the basic procedures of making maple syrup. Mann and his family have been in the maple syrup business since 1984, so they know a thing or two about making the sticky goodness.

“I want to share my knowledge with the class,” Mann said. “I am hoping there will be people in the class who want to make their own syrup in their backyard or on their kitchen stove. I want to teach them the different methods for boiling the sap off and what qualities it has to have before it is considered syrup.”

Mann will talk about other maple products that don’t get as much spotlight as syrup.

“There is maple cream, crumb sugar and candy,” he said. “I will talk about how they are made and used. And hopefully have some samples to taste and show the difference between flavors.”

The class includes a free pint of freshly tapped Maple Nut Brown Ale.

Admission is $5 per person and all proceeds benefit the Endless Mountains Maple Syrup Producers Association. The tutorial is at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.

“We always want to support a local product and if we can incorporate it into our beer, that is even better.” Rovenolt said.