The 2001 comedy film Super Troopers, directed by Jay Chandrasekhar, has become a cult classic thanks to its wacky humor and memorable characters. One of the most iconic scenes involves a syrup chugging contest, where the state troopers see who can drink an entire bottle of maple syrup the fastest. This prompts the question: did they really chug maple syrup in Super Troopers? Or was it some sort of movie magic? Let’s take a look at the evidence behind this sticky situation.
What happens in the scene
About halfway through the film, the Vermont state troopers play a series of pranks on their rival troopers across the border in Quebec. This escalates into a full-on prank war, including the infamous syrup chugging contest. The Vermont troopers bring bottles of maple syrup to the station and proceed to try chugging the entire bottle as fast as they can. One of the Quebec troopers successfully finishes his bottle first. The scene ends with everyone looking sick as the Vermont captain chastises them for the inappropriate prank.
Behind the scenes details
In interviews, the cast and crew have revealed some secrets about filming the syrup chugging scene. According to director Jay Chandrasekhar, they tried several edible substances before settling on the classic Vermont maple syrup. They tested chocolate syrup, honey, and condensed milk before deciding maple syrup looked the best on screen.
The actors really did chug from real bottles of syrup. Chandrasekhar estimates they went through about 25 bottles total. They drank small amounts from numerous bottles for each take, expectorating most of it into buckets. This prevented them from getting sick from drinking too much. The scene took about half a day to film.
Final proof
While maple syrup was used during filming, the entire bottles were not fully ingested. Based on the behind the scenes details, we can confirm that the Super Troopers cast did chug real maple syrup for the movie, but they did not actually consume entire bottles due to expectorating most of it. So while it made for an iconic and hilarious scene, they weren’t actually binge drinking high fructose corn syrup like depicted on screen. Through the magic of editing and some acting, it appears as if they are.
Background on Maple Syrup
To better understand the context of the scene, let’s look at some background information on maple syrup.
What is Maple Syrup?
Maple syrup comes from the sap of maple trees, primarily sugar maple, red maple, and black maple trees. Maple sap consists mostly of water and sucrose. It has a slightly sweet, woody taste.
Maple syrup is made by boiling down the sap to evaporate the water. It takes about 40 gallons of sap to produce 1 gallon of syrup. The boiling process concentrates the sugars and flavors. The type of syrup is determined by its color and flavor:
| Grade | Color | Flavor |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A Light Amber | Light golden color | Delicate taste |
| Grade A Medium Amber | Amber color | Rich maple flavor |
| Grade A Dark Amber | Dark amber color | Robust maple flavor |
| Grade B | Very dark color | Strong maple flavor |
Maple Syrup Production
The maple syrup industry began with Native Americans over 300 years ago. Today, Canada provides over 70% of the world’s maple syrup production, with Quebec being the largest producer.
In the United States, Vermont is the largest syrup producer, with over 2 million gallons per year. Maple syrup production is a big business in Vermont, with tourists often visiting sugar houses to see how syrup is made.
The maple syrup season lasts 4-8 weeks in early spring when temperatures cause pressure differences that allow the sap to flow. Maple farmers collect sap by tapping trees and collecting the drip in buckets. The sap is processed either through traditional boiling or reverse osmosis to make syrup.
Maple Syrup Uses
Maple syrup is commonly used as a condiment for pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, and other breakfast foods. It provides a sweet flavor with hints of caramel. The nuanced flavors of darker syrups make them popular for use in cooking as well.
Maple syrup can add sweetness to many recipes, including:
- Yogurt and granola parfaits
- Sweet potato casserole
- Fruit salads
- Maple glazed vegetables
- Maple bacon
- Sweetened beverages like maple lattes
The flavor can vary from batch to batch based on factors like the weather during sap collection. This leads some chefs to feature maple syrup varietals similar to fine wines. Overall, maple syrup remains a beloved ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes.
Health Effects of Consuming Maple Syrup
Given the Super Troopers chugged bottles of maple syrup, what are the health effects of consuming so much syrup at once?
Nutrition Info
Maple syrup contains:
- Sucrose: About 60% of maple syrup is sucrose or table sugar. A 1⁄4 cup contains over 50g of sugar and 200 calories.
- Water: 33% of syrup is water.
- Minerals like Calcium, Potassium, and Manganese: Syrup has modest amounts of micronutrients.
- Phytochemicals and Antioxidants: Syrup has beneficial plant compounds like lignans and phytosterols.
- No Fat, Protein, or Fiber: Maple syrup lacks fat, protein, and fiber.
While it contains beneficial minerals and antioxidants, maple syrup is still high in sugar and calories with little nutritional value. Consuming large quantities can be unhealthy.
Sugar Rush and Crash
When ingested, the sucrose in maple syrup is broken down into glucose and fructose. This causes a spike in blood sugar. The resulting rush of energy stimulates insulin production.
Insulin triggers cells to absorb glucose from the bloodstream for energy. The rapid removal of glucose then causes a subsequent crash as energy levels rapidly decline again.
Consuming very high amounts of syrup leads to an exaggerated cycle of sugar highs and lows. Side effects may include tremors, heart palpitations, and fatigue after the initial rush.
Other Side Effects
Drinking entire bottles of maple syrup can lead to other gastrointestinal issues including:
- Nausea and vomiting from the high sugar concentration
- Diarrhea from the osmotic effect of so much sugar in the digestive tract
- Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance from diarrhea
- Upset stomach pain and cramping as the sugar rapidly shifts water into the GI tract
Over time, regularly excessive sugar consumption also increases the risk of:
- Obesity
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Heart Disease
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
While the occasional maple syrup indulgence is fine, consistently consuming it in excess is detrimental for long-term health.
Is Maple Syrup Toxic in High Doses?
Given the laxative effect and other side effects, could consuming entire bottles of maple syrup potentially be toxic?
Maple Syrup Urine Disease
Maple syrup urine disease is a genetic disorder where the body cannot process branched-chain amino acids properly. It causes a buildup of toxic byproducts. This can lead to brain damage and death if untreated.
The name comes from the distinctive sweet maple syrup odor in the urine and sweat of affected individuals. However, consuming maple syrup itself does not cause the disease or its effects in normal healthy people.
No Evidence of Toxicity
Despite its association with the disease, there is no evidence that maple syrup is toxic to consume even in very high amounts, beyond the possible side effects described earlier.
There are no documented cases of toxicity from maple syrup consumption alone. Research on maple syrup extracts has not found any toxic effects on cells either.
While chugging bottles of syrup can cause temporary adverse effects, it does not appear to be life threatening or have lasting toxic consequences in healthy people. However, those with chronic diseases affected by sugar should exercise caution.
Other Sugars Are More Dangerous
Most experts agree that other added sugars may be more concerning in very high doses. For example:
- High Fructose Corn Syrup: Contains a higher ratio of processed fructose implicated in liver disease.
- Agave Nectar: Contains higher fructose compared to regular sugar.
- Artificial Sweeteners: Some evidence links saccharin and aspartame to cancer risks in rodent studies.
These other sweeteners appear to carry more health risks than natural maple syrup when consumed in excess.
Could You Really Chug a Whole Bottle?
The Super Troopers make it look easy to quickly chug entire bottles of syrup, but is it actually possible?
How Much is in a Bottle?
A typical retail bottle of maple syrup ranges from 8 ounces to 12 ounces. There are about 20 fluid ounces in a full standard bottle.
So a full bottle contains around:
- 200-300 grams of sugar
- 800-1200 calories
This is over half the daily amount of sugar and calories recommended for an adult.
Chugging Challenges
There are several documented examples of people attempting to chug full bottles of maple syrup.
For example, YouTube personality Shoenice22 drank a 12 oz bottle in one minute, an impressive feat. Competitive eater Derek Jacobs drank a 16 oz bottle in 1 minute 47 seconds.
The fastest time appears to be 35 seconds for a full bottle of syrup. While possible, it requires an extreme tolerance and is inadvisable for health reasons. Most people would struggle to finish a whole bottle.
Downsides of Chugging
Attempting to chug a full bottle of maple syrup can result in:
- Feeling miserably full and nauseous
- Sticky syrup coating your teeth, gums, esophagus, and lips
- Potentially vomiting from the sweetness overload
- Sugar crash headache, fatigue, and irritability
- Gut pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea
Maple syrup chugging challenges may look cool, but the physical effects can be quite uncomfortable and unpleasant. Moderation is key.
Conclusion
The infamous maple syrup chugging scene is definitely one of the most memorable from Super Troopers. While it makes for great comedy, the cast did not actually consume entire bottles. Through the magic of movies, strategic expectorating, and editing, they only drank small amounts from numerous bottles to create the illusion.
Chugging full bottles of maple syrup could cause an intense sugar rush followed by an energy crash along with GI issues. However, maple syrup does not appear to be acutely toxic even in high amounts for healthy people. Other sweeteners may be more concerning in excess. Though it is possible to quickly drink a full bottle of syrup, it would be extremely challenging and uncomfortable in reality.
Overall, you probably shouldn’t try to emulate the maple syrup chugging prank at home. But the scene will undoubtedly live on as an iconic and hilarious clip from Super Troopers.
