Pure Maine maple syrup with a hint of the great north woods in it, has been brightening the flavor of fine, downeast food since long before the colonists arrived. Now, hundreds of years later, the quality is excellent, the degree of sweetness is fixed by law, and the uniquely delicious taste still varies as it always has. Sometimes the syrup is dark and rich, sometimes pale gold and delicate. It all depends on the soil and terrain, the wind and the weather, just like wine.

Enjoy a quart of Grade A, medium amber, Maine maple syrup made at the Sugar Shack by Eric Rolfson, UMaine's VP for Development & Alumni Relations who in his spare time runs a family maple syrup operation and maintains trails on 125 acres in rural Maine.