Would You Like Some Vodka on Those Pancakes?

That could be the question someone might jokingly ask upon first learning of this unusual, individualistic, and hauntingly flavorful vodka from Vermont, which lends credence to the fact that it is made with the sugars from 100 percent natural maple syrup. That in itself makes Vermont Gold maple vodka ($40/$20) a very limited, annual production, as the sap from New England’s maple trees only flows for less than six weeks in the spring, when warming daytime temperatures combine with still-frigid nights to allow the stored sugars to be released as sap. This in turn is boiled into maple syrup, which is then combined with a pure, non-grain vodka, then triple distilled and lightly filtered through charcoal to allow the delicate maple essence to come through in this 80 proof spirit. Only pure Vermont spring water is sourced for the distillation process, and no additives or preservatives are used. The distiller, Harry Gorman, handcrafts everything in-house. The result is a distinctly American-made, small-batch vodka with a smooth, semi-rich flavor of maple, a liquid tribute to a unique product of the Green Mountain State. Primarily available in the Northeast, it also can be ordered online. (866.998.6352, www.vermontspirits.com)