Gist: Syrups made from hickory bark foraged within Virginia forests
Who: Retired married couple and Clarke County residents Travis and Joyce Miller
Started: The Millers turned their syrup-making hobby into a money-making venture by selling at local farmers markets starting in 2011. Signature flavors include vanilla hickory, brandy hickory and a 100-day, barrel-aged version using Catoctin Creek Distilling Company’s rye whiskey barrels.
Inspiration: Dedicated to self-reliance—gardening, heating their home with wood, hunting and fishing off their land, producing homemade goods like herb butter and flavor-infused salts—the Millers, on a whim, decided to fill a neglected niche at farmers markets by making hickory (not maple) syrup.
Details: After bark is foraged from the shagbark hickory tree, which sheds its bark naturally, thereby not harming the tree, “the process is quite simple,” says Travis. They clean the bark of dirt, roast the bark on an open flame to impart a smoky flavor, process it under pressure to extract flavor and age for several days before filtering and adding a small amount of cane sugar.
Next: This year expect seasonal flavors, like a holiday spice blend, and a bigger presence down the East Coast. The syrups are currently available in food shops, restaurants and farmers markets, and increasing local opportunities is another goal. “I think this will be our breakout year for the Washington, D.C., area,” says Travis. / wildwoodshickorysyrup.com –Susannah Black
(June 2015)
