Bear Maple Sparkling Ginseng Elixir began with a father/daughter trip to the backyard. Getting outside during the pandemic, Brian Bethke and his daughter, Anna, tapped the maple trees at their new home in the Catskills to create maple syrup and maple candy. And during their short trek, they discovered the secret to this unique beverage. “Before it’s boiled down to maple syrup, maple water is filtered through the cells of the tree. It removes all the impurities and instills it with minerals and electrolytes. Basically, everything our body needs to be healthy,” said Bethke. “It’s delicious, so I just started drinking that.”
Back in 2020, fresh off selling a company that built guitar amps, this deeply curious fellow began brewing the maple water with locally sourced ginseng to make a tea. He sipped the concoction while trying to figure out his next move, which he thought would be computer programming. “I have this amazing view outside the window, and meanwhile, I’m inside coding. I’m like, I don’t want to be doing this. At the same time I was drinking what would become Bear Maple as I was coding to keep me focused. And I was like, wait a minute! Maybe this is my product,” Bethke said. “Everything clicked into place.”
The result is a refreshing carbonated beverage that combines the benefits of maple and ginseng to uplift and focus the drinker. Bethke first discovered ginseng while living in China. This root is highly valued in that culture, given as gifts and used in both medical and culinary ways. The health benefits come from ginsenosides, the bioactive component of the plant. Ginsenosides improve cognitive function and suppress inflammation, among other benefits.
Ginseng exists in a symbiotic relationship with maple forests. Maple leaves retain a high level of calcium when they drop and ginseng needs that calcium in the soil to grow successfully. During the ensuing decade, the root develops its full potential for health and adaptogenic aspects. Sourcing this old-growth ginseng from American forests would deplete it quickly, however. Since Bethke wanted ginseng to be the superpower of his new product, he chose to source it from a Belgian company that grows the plant hydroponically in a way that simulates long-term growth in a matter of months.
Along with the original ginseng, Bear Maple flavors include ginger, yuzu citrus, and lemongrass mint. All of these came from Bethke experimenting in his kitchen. For example, he said, “We had lemongrass and mint growing in our garden. And I just threw that in there and see what happens. I expected it to be a complete disaster. But I gave some to Anna and she’s like, ‘Dad, this is the best flavor you’ve ever made.’”
In a fun twist, Anna began her own lemonade company as a way to get a dog. Her product, Anna’s Lemonade, is now sold alongside Bear Maple in local stores. And Sammy, her fluffy white dog, happily resides in the Bethke household.
Bear Maple Sparkling Ginseng Elixir can be purchased in-store in New York City and the Catskills, as well as online at Amazon.com.
AUTHOR
LA Bourgeois is a writer and creativity coach based in the eclectic food enclave of Ithaca, New York. Her enthusiastic embrace of food and business led her to run a cafe/bar and wine shop in Colorado for a little over a decade. Now, she uses her words to delight her readers and share her adventures at Housewyfe.com.
NEXT ON THE DISH
