One fun thing: Those of us in the drum business like to joke that you can’t watch a movie or a TV show without seeing a drum make an appearance. For my fellow drum aficionados, have I got a new TV series for you!
A few years ago, TV producer Brian Donovan stumbled upon a tale too sticky to resist: the Great Canadian Maple Syrup Heist.
- Between 2011 and 2012, thieves stole CA$18 million worth of syrup from Quebec’s maple syrup reserve, making headlines in Canada.
- What stood out wasn’t just the scale of the theft but the unique logistics involved—moving barrels of syrup instead of cash.
- Partnering with writer Ed Herro, Donovan turned the story into The Sticky, a dark comedy now streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Role of Barrels in Syrupy Deception
Central to both the real crime and the show were the barrels. In reality, the thieves drained barrels of syrup, refilled them with water, and returned them to the reserve. The rust on the water-filled barrels ultimately tipped off investigators. For The Sticky, filmmakers meticulously recreated these details. Using CGI to fill out scenes of the reserve, they also crafted individual barrels with authentic federation labels, ensuring no rust was visible on syrup-filled ones.
The Challenge of Moving Heavy Drums.
- Unlike bank robberies, transporting syrup came with unique hurdles.
- The show highlights the effort required to move syrup-filled barrels, using tanker trucks and grappling with food-safety concerns.
- The production team coined the term “barrel math” to describe their deep dive into the physics of syrup: its weight, viscosity, and even boiling and freezing points.
Capturing the Sweet Labor of Maple Farming
To portray syrup production authentically, consultants from the maple syrup industry helped transform filming locations into realistic farms.
- Actors experienced the grueling nature of harvesting sap, with 40 liters needed to produce a single liter of syrup.
- This attention to detail extended to the tubing used to siphon sap, which was carefully stained to mimic real maple farming processes.
A Deliciously Dark Story
While taking creative liberties, the show remains grounded in the quirks of the syrup world.
- From a body bobbing in a syrup vat in the opening scene to the rich visual storytelling, The Sticky leans heavily on the drama of its sweet subject.
- For producers, it wasn’t just about telling a crime story—it was about highlighting the unique, labor-intensive world of syrup production, where barrels became both the prize and the downfall of the culprits.
Through its attention to detail and dark humor, The Sticky gives a new spin to a one-of-a-kind heist—proving that sometimes the sweetest stories come in drums.