Local Father and Daughter Turn Their Maple Liqueur Hobby into a Business

By GRANT ROWL
Contributing Writer

Have you ever looked back on your life and wondered “what if?” What if you pursued that dream, created your own future, tried to do something no one else tried to do? Have you ever wondered what if you succeeded? Michael Meredith, Jr. and his daughter AJ Meredith, did just that by turning Michael’s hobby of making liqueurs into a successful local business.

Michael started mixing liqueurs while attending Duke University in the late 1970s. “I had a friend at Duke who gave me a recipe for a coffee liqueur and that’s what sparked my interest.” He experimented making coffee liqueurs throughout college and continued the hobby after becoming an Aerospace Engineer.

Finally, in the early 2000’s, Michael perfected an amaretto liqueur recipe. The recipe was used with and without amaretto flavoring. The version without the amaretto flavoring became a favorite and was nicknamed “Meredith Maple” by a family friend.

With confident determination, daughter AJ Meredith encouraged her father to turn his hobby into more than just a dream. The idea took off and resulted in what is now a Broken Arrow company, Meredith Maple LLC.

“It was kind of a strange coincidence of events,” said AJ, now Vice President of Sales and Marketing when asked how Meredith Maple Liqueurs started. “I thought, if I don’t do this now I never will, so I kind of risked it.” With AJ’s Master’s Degree in Business Management and her father’s engineering and analytical approach to the creation process, Meredith Maple has a very sophisticated partnership and unique product formula.

Meredith Maple is a 67-proof sweet maple liqueur, aged on oak and manufactured in Bend, Oregon. It has been described in the press as “one of the most unique flavors on the market.” Local fans enjoy drinking it in coffee, with lemonade for summer holidays, adding it to beer or dry wine as a kicker, or sipping it straight or on ice as an after-dinner drink. A liqueur made for celebration; Meredith Maple is meant to be savored during life’s greatest moments.

AJ not only hopes people will try out the family’s smooth and sweet liqueur, she also wants to encourage others to never give up on their dreams. “We need more leaders to take risks and try new businesses,” she added, emphasizing the importance of more local female entrepreneurs. “As with any dream, there have been challenges and obstacles along the way, but the good far outweighs the bad.” She hopes to inspire others to find what they’re called to do and find their life’s purpose. “We have so many opportunities and I just want more people to feel that passion to be excited and live their dreams like I’m doing out here every day,” said AJ.

Meredith Maple’s goal is to bring the best and most sophisticated maple liqueurs to the market, and we think they achieved just that. Meredith Maple Liqueurs can be found in 85 Liquor Stores, bars, restaurants, and specialty shops across Oklahoma, including Biergarten and Out South in Jenks, Liquids and Kwenchers in Owasso, Parkhill’s Warehouse and PJ’s Bar and Grill Tulsa, and BA Wine and Spirits, B&B Liquor Warehouse, and The Succulent Shop in Broken Arrow. For a full list of locations and recipes, visit meredithmaple.com.