Filled with humor and raucous 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.
