When people ask what I do for work and I say I'm a sommelier, thoughts go strictly to wine. What it actually entails is much more than that. I deal with many aspects of service and play a huge supportive role on the floor. One of my favorite parts of the job is when I have opportunities like this past Wednesday...to go take a drive 30 minutes outside of Beacon to pick-up our Laurel & Ash maple order. To be able to visit a farm, learn where a product comes from, learn the story behind it, and then be able to share my knowledge, that is where my passion lies.
Ashley Ruprecht & Jeffrey Schad were looking to purchase a country home outside of the city in 2015 and found themselves in Holmes, NY with 52 acres of land and a surprising amount of maple trees. In 2018, Laurel & Ash was formed, a sustainable maple farm currently offering a range of maple syrups with more projects in the works. They both work full-time while doing this production on the side and I was fortunate to get a tour of their beautiful property, which they have plans to someday build out to have a space for events and guests.
Laurel & Ash’s pump house in the woods
They start tapping trees around January, so I was visiting in the off season, but it was still a sight to see with plenty of lines connecting the maple trees. Impressively, Jeff has drilled into all those trees in a matter of a few days this year with just one friend's help. From tapping a few trees their first year, they now have a whole intricate system with lines connecting the trees all leading to a sugarhouse where the sap collects in a stainless steel vat. The collection process is mostly done by gravity, with a little help of a vacuum. From one sugarhouse to the other, the syrup is then wood-fired to create the delicious tasting product we know and love. The final stage is bottling with a wax top, which is done from the production room they've made in the basement of their family home. There you will find a sample collection of each syrup they've done since the start.
It's a growing production with many more trees on their property untouched and ready. They are also experimenting with new products such as barrel aged maple vinegar which has been selling out fast when they visit Farmer's Markets, a project they've been working on for over a year. They need to scale production and hope to have it available for wholesale later this year or early 2023.
If you're wondering what the difference in color has to do with the syrup and production, you're not alone. I also had that question and it's a simple answer - the later in the season, the darker the syrup. This means when they start tapping they are getting a golden syrup and then it goes from amber, dark, very dark. What you get is a more concentrated, rich, and flavorful product as it gets later into the season.
Series of pipes through the forest that are mostly gravity-fed
We currently offer bottles of their maple syrup here at Homespun - amber, dark, and very dark. We also are using their amber syrup in our maple lattes, which Ashley describes as rich, but not overpowering. It was a pleasure visiting the farm for the day and getting to know their production and we look forward to what's to come. Stay up to date with them here ~ https://www.instagram.com/laurelandashfarm/
Maple Vinegar Fermentation— This has been a big hit at Farmer’s Markets this year, here they are experimenting with various amounts of maple syrup, looking for just the right blend of sweetness balanced with acidity.
*
“restaurants” “beacon restaurants” “food” “Brunch” “Brunch Near Me” “Brunch in Beacon” “Brunch Beacon” “Breakfast Beacon” “Breakfast Near Me” “Lunch” “Restaurants” “Lunch Near Me” “Restaurant Near Me” “Restaurant in Beacon” “Wine” “Wine Bar” “Craft Beer” “Craft Beer Store” “Local Breweries” “Hudson Valley Cider” “Dia Beacon” “Dia Beacon Restaurant” “Dia Beacon Café” “Dinner Near Me” “Dinner” “Restaurants for Dinner” “Hudson Valley Restaurants” “Beacon Restaurants”. “Food Beacon” “Private Events” “Private Event Space” “Private Events Hudson Valley” “Hudson Valley Weddings” “Rehearsal Dinner Hudson Valley” “Take Out” “Take Out Near Me” “Catering” “Catering Near Me” “Best Restaurants” “Best Caterer Hudson Valley” “Vegan” “Vegan Restaurant” “Vegetarian” “Vegetarian Options” “Coffee” “Coffee Bar” “Coffee Near Me” “Best Coffee” “Best Brunch and Breakfast in Beacon” “Best Brunch and Breakfast Near Me” “Wine Bar Near Me” “homespun beacon” “homespun foods” “homespun foods beacon” “homespun foods menu” “dia beacon restaurant” “dia beacon food’ “homespun food” “homespun menu” “dia café” home spun” “restaurants beacon ny” “homepsun” “homespun restaurant” “beacon ny restaurants” “restaurants in beacon ny” “food near me” “dia café menu” “places to eat in beacon ny” “food beacon” “best restaurants beacon ny” “sandwiches near me” “vegan beacon” “best brunch in beacon ny” “restaurants outdoor seating” “beacon lunch spots” “food beacon” “light breakfast” “sandwiches” “dog friendly” “brunch dog friendly” “dogs” “best sandwiches near me” “best brunch near me” “best breakfast spots” “kids breakfast” “breakfast kids” “cheap salads” “salads here” “best brunch restaurants” “breakfast meeting” “mimosas near me” “dog friendly restaurants brunch” “salad nyc” “breakfast spot” “brunch lunch” “breakfast brunch” “gourmet sandwiches” “restaurants – brunch and lunch near me” “brunch and lunch near me”
