The Sugar Rush

The Sugar Rush

by Peter Gregg
Setting: New York/Vermont
Genres: Biography & Autobiography / Culinary
Published on July 2, 2024
Pages: 336
Format: eBook Source: Library, Owned

Filled with humor and madcap adventure, The Sugar Rush is the story of two friends with a sweet, golden, syrupy dream, set against the rugged New England wilderness.

Trying to shake off the emotions of a recently emptied nest and midlife anxiety, Peter Gregg launches into a strange new chapter—he decides to make maple syrup. A lot of it. After recruiting his best buddy, Bert, and collecting advice from a clique of salty farmers who’ve been sugaring all their lives, Gregg is soon consumed by what maple producers call “the Bug.” He sets out to chase the mythical “five pounder” goal—a lofty syrup production total that’ll put him in league with the pros in Vermont. For the next three months, from January to early April, the two men battle the rugged terrain of a mountain of maples in an Ahab-like quest that eats up their energy, time, and contents of their wallets.

Along the way, they learn how to handle dangerous equipment, outrun predatory wildlife and deal with the sped-up seasons brought on by climate change.

Out of their struggle, they get something more valuable than the liquid gold they’re cooking: bonds of lasting friendship, a lifeline to a community, and a sense of purpose that remains long after sugaring season is over.

At its heart, The Sugar Rush is a deliciously hilarious yet moving account of the crazy journey some people will take in their "pursuit of happiness."

Told with humor, gusto, and in the profane vernacular common to the woodsy hinterlands of Upstate New York and Vermont, The Sugar Rush speaks to a desire to set the bar high... and the pancake stack higher.

When I’m reading nonfiction I know the book is good if I’m thinking that I need to get a copy of it for the husband. I know that it is really good if he’ll be passing it on to his friends. I knew within the first few chapters of reading my library ebook that I’d be buying a copy of this one. I even – gasp – splurged on a hardcover. It was that good.

Peter and Bert have been making maple syrup as a hobby for a while. But after the industry-wide abysmal 2021 season, Peter decides to shoot for the stars. He decides to try to get an average of 5 lbs of syrup from each tree that they have tapped. That’s not easy. Most producers don’t reach that. To do it they have to massively upgrade their equipment and seriously commit to the season.

Things don’t always go to plan. Let’s be honest, their plans aren’t always that well thought out in the first place. Along the way, you learn a lot about modern sugaring and the people who obsessively devote months of their lives to maple syrup when the sap is running.

This book is hilarious. I read it almost straight though including on my phone during the opening band I had never heard of at a concert. Modern technology is a gift.

If you like the genre of books were people document trying to hit their goals/learn something new with unpredictable results, this one is for you with the added bonus of maple syrup!