All of these whiskeys are going to taste great, but what is your preferred way to drink it? Do you want to be able to drink it neat? If so, it should be delicious to sip on its own, the flavors detectable. Are you more inclined to use it in a mixed drink capacity? If so, you might want a whiskey whose flavors are prominent or that can stand up to other ingredients. The best maple whiskey is bold in its approach. Take two of the most beloved flavor profiles on the planet, smash them together, and see what happens. As the leaves change color and the air becomes crisp, there's nothing quite like the taste of maple to evoke the feeling of fall. If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, use granulated or brown sugar to make a simple syrup. For both, adding 1 cup of sugar or brown sugar to one cup of hot water will get you a delicious syrup to use for making this sour.

Fresh Lime Juice - Another tip that takes this drink from ordinary to spectacular is using freshly squeezed juice. Boxed fresh juice in the cooler section is your next best bet. I don't recommend canned juice or syrup. Buy extra limes for garnishing with lime wedges, wheels or a slice of lime. The subtle maple in the Canadian whiskeys relies less on sugary sweetness and pairs well with vanilla ice cream. And naturally, it’s a hit when drizzled over pancakes in the morning.

Like Crown Royal Maple, Sortilege is sweet but not oh-my-god sweet. It is very, very drinkable and maybe a good jumping-off point for friends or family who aren’t used to drinking straight spirits.

To make it a little less strong, you can blend it with 1-2 cups of crushed ice in a high powered blender until it is a slushy consistency. Make Ahead

Awards for Maple Whiskey Liqueur

Whiskey sours were originally created to keep sailors from developing scurvy on long sea voyages. The citrus juice was added to the rum ration for British soldiers along with a touch of sugar to sweeten it up.