Maple Frostbite

The Maple Frostbite is a soda fountain classic that can be found in The Dispenser’s Formulary, Or, Soda Water Guide, the 1905 collection in which many such mostly forgotten mixed drinks of yore survive. Today, as many craft bartenders have recently discovered a renewed interest in nonalcoholic or low-ABV beverages, the time has come to reexamine some of these classic recipes, often with an eye toward a modern revamp.

Such is the case with the Maple Frostbite. While many soda fountain drinks spring from the page fully aligned with modern sensibilities, this one, with its lack of acid, seems a bit flabby. There is, of course, a danger with mixed drinks drawn from single sources, where typos or omissions can sow confusion. (See for instance: the Bizzy Izzy Highball.) There is also the possibility of changing tastes, and the cobbler-style cocktail—in which booze and sugar meet fine ice sans acid—has never really caught on in modern culture despite the steadfast efforts of several notable bartenders.

It's also true that many old-school syrups call for added acid, typically in the form of shelf-stable citric acid. The vanilla syrup in The Dispenser’s Formulary doesn’t exactly, but does tantalizingly suggest a few ounces of sherry; a hard addition for a cocktail bartender to ignore and definitely worth a try if you have the sherry sitting about and are so inclined. 

In any case, a little fresh lemon juice goes a long way in bringing this drink to the 21st century. Personally, I prefer the use of a fresh vanilla bean for my syrup, but you can follow the old ways and use extract. The results will be quantifiably different but still pretty good. The classic seems to have been served without ice in a fizz style, but between the name and the robust use of sweetness, a little fine ice ties up my revamp of this nonalcoholic classic. 

Editor’s note: If you don’t have vanilla beans on hand, feel free to use ½ oz. simple syrup (1:1) plus ¼ tsp. vanilla extract in place of the homemade vanilla syrup. Or, to bypass the overnight soaking, combine the granulated sugar, amontillado sherry or vanilla extract (if using), water, and split vanilla bean in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat to dissolve the sugar and quickly extract the vanilla flavor. Let cool at room temperature, then strain.