Bourbon Whiskey lovers are going to love Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Bourbon. Father and son team, Ron and Jeremey Elliot, infused their Gold Medal award-winning Straight Bourbon Whiskey made in the Green Mountains of Vermont with 100% organic Vermont Maple Syrup to lend it a hint of sweetness and round out the dynamic flavors of this gorgeous Bourbon Whiskey. Totally delectable as a sipping bourbon, it also works well in a variety of cocktail and culinary recipes, like our recipe for Luxury Experience – Duck à la Maple (Bourbon). Cheers and Bon Appetit!
Product Information: Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Bourbon starts with their Gold Medal award-winning Straight Bourbon Whiskey Infused with 100% VT Maple Syrup. 45% alcohol by volume, 90 proof, $50.99/750 ml bottle. Distilled and Hand Bottled by Smugglers’ Notch Distillery in Jeffersonville, Vermont.
Bottle Notes: “The name, Smuggler’s Notch, captures the legacy of the smugglers who used this thickly forested rugged mountain pass with its surrounding caves to move goods and liquor from Canada into the United States. Although we don’t need to smuggle anymore, we provide a commodity worthy of the cause. Smugglers’ Notch Distillery is proud to offer Maple Straight Bourbon Whiskey. 100% Pure Vermont maple syrup that has been aged in our bourbon barrels is blended with the award-winning Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Our small-batch bourbon embodies Vermont’s Mountain Spirit. Hand Bottled by Smugglers’ Notch Distillery, Jeffersonville, Vermont.
Tasting Notes: Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Bourbon has a rich amber color. The nose is richly aromatic with hints of chocolate and sweet maple notes on the nose. On the palate, the finish is warm and luscious with hints of honey, oak, smoky vanilla and cinnamon. This is a gorgeous bourbon enjoyed on its own with a splash of water or ice or used as a versatile ingredient in many cocktail and culinary recipes.
Luxury Experience was “In The Kitchen and Behind The Bar®” creating two delicious cocktails and a culinary recipe with Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Bourbon to show its versatility. The only limitation is your imagination. Cheers!
Luxury Experience Recipes
The Cocktail Menu
Luxury Experience – Mirror Mirror
Luxury Experience – Johnny Appleseed II
The Culinary Menu
Luxury Experience –Duck à la Maple (Bourbon) with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree and
Candied Bacon Dust
The Cocktail Recipes
Our cocktail, Luxury Experience – Mirror Mirror is perfect to drink on its own, or to pair it with our recipe for Luxury Experience – Duck à la Maple (Bourbon) as it mirrors many of the same ingredients used (minus the duck!). We created the cocktail by blending Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Bourbon with an equal part of orange juice and rounded out the flavors with 3 dashes of Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters. We gave it a sophisticated and tasty half-rim of Vermont maple syrup and homemade candied bacon “dust” and garnished it with a curled orange peel. Cheers!
Luxury Experience – Mirror Mirror
Luxury Experience – Mirror Mirror
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Glass Used: Rocks Glass
Cocktail Ingredients:
|
2
|
Ounces
|
|
|
2
|
Ounces
|
Orange Juice
|
|
3
|
Dashes
|
Fee Brothers West Indian Orange Bitters
|
|
Vermont Maple Syrup, Homemade Candied Bacon, rim
Orange Peel, garnish
|
Candied Bacon Ingredients:
|
8
|
Strips
|
Crispy Maple Brown Sugar Bacon
|
|
2
|
Tablespoons
|
Sugar in the Raw
|
Method for the Candied Bacon: Layer bacon strips between paper towels in a microwaveable dish and microwave until bacon is crisp.
Heat a sauté pan, add sugar in the raw. When sugar starts to dissolve, add the bacon and coat both sides until bacon is well coated. Remove bacon from the pan and set on parchment to dry.
When the bacon is dry, put bacon in a mini-chopper and process to create coarse bacon “dust” to rim the cocktail.
Method for the Cocktail: Pour a small amount of Vermont maple syrup on a saucer. Spoon a small amount of bacon dust onto another saucer. Half-rim the rocks glass by twisting the edge of the glass in the maple syrup, then twist it in the bacon dust. Set aside while you mix the cocktail.
Mix the Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Bourbon with the orange juice and Fee Brothers bitters in mixing glass. Add a large ice cube to the rocks glass and pour cocktail over the ice. Garnish with orange peel.
Luxury Experience – Johnny Appleseed II gets its vibe from Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Bourbon and Thompson’s Cider Mill Hard Cider, Antique Apple Blend, a semi-dry cider with 6.9% alcohol, made in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. We finished the cocktail with Granny Smith apple balls infused and frozen in the cider (instead of adding ice) and added a small amount of Vermont maple syrup to round out the flavors. We used a cinnamon stick as a stirrer, and to enhance the slight cinnamon flavor of the bourbon. The result is pure deliciousness.
Luxury Experience – Johnny Appleseed II
Luxury Experience – Johnny Appleseed II
Yield: 1 Cocktail
Glass Used: Snifter Glass
Cocktail Ingredients:
|
1.75
|
Ounces
|
|
|
2
|
Ounces
|
|
|
0.25
|
Teaspoon
|
Vermont Maple Syrup
|
|
4
|
Infused and frozen Granny Smith Apple Balls
|
|
|
1
|
Stick
|
Cinnamon, to use as a garnish and cocktail stirrer
|
Granny Smith Apple Balls Ingredients:
|
1
|
Large
|
Granny Smith Apple
|
|
1
|
Ounce
|
Method for the Cider-Infused Apple Balls: Peel and core Granny Smith apple. Use the small end of a melon baller and create apple balls. Place the apple balls in a small plastic container and pour 1-ounce of the Thompson’s Cider Mill Hard Cider Antique Apple Blend, Semi-Dry over the apples. Place the container in the freezer to freeze the apple balls.
Method for the Cocktail: Mix the bourbon, hard cider, and maple syrup in a mixing glass. Place frozen 4-5 apple balls in a snifter glass. Pour the cocktail over the apple balls and garnish with a long cinnamon stick.
The Culinary Recipe
Luxury Experience – Duck à la Maple Bourbon
Luxury Experience –Duck à la Maple (Bourbon) with Jerusalem Artichoke Puree and Candied Bacon Dust
Serves 2
When we first tasted Smugglers’ Notch Maple Bourbon, we knew that we wanted to create a duck recipe using this delicious bourbon. The bourbon and maple flavors bring out the richness of the duck, which we enhanced by finishing it with a Maple Bourbon orange sauce, then garnishing it with candied maple brown sugar bacon “dust” for an elegant finish. Jerusalem artichokes are root vegetables with a hint of earthiness and sweetness. They resemble knobby potatoes and make a perfect base for the duck.
Jerusalem Artichoke Puree Ingredients:
|
14
|
Ounces
|
Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled, diced
|
|
2
|
Tablespoons
|
Butter
|
|
Milk
|
||
|
Salt and Pepper, to taste
|
Method for the Jerusalem Artichoke Puree: Add diced Jerusalem Artichokes to a saucepan, cover with water, and add a dash of salt. Boil until very tender. Drain, add the Jerusalem Artichokes to a food processor along with the butter, and process until very smooth. Add a bit of milk, and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Candied Bacon Ingredients:
|
8
|
Strips
|
Crispy Maple Brown Sugar Bacon
|
|
2
|
Tablespoons
|
Sugar in the Raw
|
Method for the Candied Bacon: Layer bacon strips between paper towels in a microwaveable dish and microwave until bacon is crisp.
Heat a sauté pan, add sugar in the raw. When sugar starts to dissolve, add the bacon and coat both sides until bacon is well coated. Remove bacon from the pan and set on parchment to dry. When the bacon is dry, put bacon in a mini-chopper and process to create coarse bacon “dust” to rim the cocktail.
Note: You will use this same pan to sauté the duck breasts after you candy the bacon to add extra flavors to the duck.
Duck Ingredients:
|
2
|
Duck Breasts, Skin On, Boneless (totaling 1-pound
|
|
|
1
|
Tablespoon
|
Butter
|
|
0.25
|
Cup
|
Leeks, sliced, light green parts, only
|
|
Salt and Pepper
|
Method for the Duck: Preheat the oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.
Heat sauté pan that you used to candy the bacon. Add the butter. When the butter has melted, place the two duck breasts skin side down to sear them. Season the cut side of the duck breasts with salt and pepper, and top with sliced leeks. Sear the duck breasts for 3 minutes. Using 2 large metal spatulas, gently turn the duck breasts over so that skin faces up. Cover loosely with foil or ovenproof cover.
Bake the duck breasts in the oven for 13 minutes. Remove the foil or cover and bake the duck breasts for an additional 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breasts reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the duck breasts from the pan and set them on a cutting board and loosely cover with foil. Let the duck rest while you create the sauce.
Sauce Ingredients:
|
1.75
|
Ounces
|
|
|
1
|
Ounce
|
Orange Juice
|
Method for the Sauce: Add 1 ounce orange juice and 1 ounce Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey Infused with 100% VT Maple Syrup to the pan juices in the sauté pan to deglaze it. Cook over medium heat to create a sauce.
Plating Suggestion: Spoon a generous line of Jerusalem Artichoke puree on two plates. Top with sliced duck breast, drizzle the Maple Bourbon and orange sauce over the duck, and garnish with the candied bacon “dust.”
However you opt to use Smugglers’ Notch Maple Bourbon, the result will be delicious!
Until next time, cheers, it’s cocktail time!
Smuggler’s Notch Distillery Line of Excellent Spirits Include:
Vodkas: Smugglers’ Notch Vodka, Smugglers’ Notch Gluten Free Organic Vodka, and Smugglers’ Notch Moroccan Rose and Grapefruit Vodka.
Bourbons: Smugglers’ Notch Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Smugglers’ Notch Maple Bourbon, and Smugglers’ Notch Maple Bourbon Maple Cream Liqueur.
Gins: Smugglers’ Notch Gin Blend 802, Smugglers’ Notch Hopped Gin, and Smugglers’ Notch Maple Gin.
Rye, Rum, and More: Smugglers’ Notch Rye, Smugglers’ Notch Rum, Smugglers’ Notch Maple Cream Liqueur.
Distillery and Tasting Rooms: If you are planning a trip to Vermont, you might like to visit the Smugglers’ Notch Distillery in Jeffersonville, or one of their other Vermont Tasting Rooms in Manchester, Waterbury Center, Burlington, Stowe, and Williston.
Smugglers’ Notch Distillery and Tasting Room – Jeffersonville, Vermont Hours: Open daily from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm.
Please visit their website for more information on Smugglers’ Notch Distillery: https://smugglersnotchdistillery.com/
Read about our visit to the Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Tasting Room in Manchester, Vermont in the Destinations section: Postcards from a Summer Weekend in Manchester VT USA
Read our features on Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Moroccan Rose and Grapefruit Vodka and Smugglers’ Notch Maple Gin including great recipes in the Liquor Cabinet section: Smugglers’ Notch Moroccan Rose & Grapefruit Flavored Vodka and Smugglers’ Notch Distillery Maple Gin.
Smugglers’ Notch Distillery & Tasting Room
5087 Vermont Rte. 15
Jeffersonville, Vermont 05464
United States
Telephone: +1-802-760-0619
Email: info@smugglersnotchdistillery.com
Website: https://smugglersnotchdistillery.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SND_Spirits/
@SND_Spirits
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smugglersnotchdistillery
Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.
Follow Luxury Experience on YouTube at @edwardnesta9910 @luxurypair
Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram at www.Instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair
© January 2025. Luxury Experience www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.
