It's National Coffee Day and we are celebrating tonight by making our friends a delicious pitcher of iced coffee with a special cinnamon and vanilla syrup! Mmmmm. Cheers to the drink that keeps grown ups going! 

Maple Vanilla Cinnamon Syrup

Serves: 8

• 3/4 cups of maple syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 vanilla bean, sliced open vertically
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions 

• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add maple syrup, water and vanilla bean. Bring to a roiling boil and remove from heat. Let cool, then stir in vanilla extract and cinnamon.
• Pour syrup through a fine strainer if there are any vanilla bean pieces. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Preparing the Iced Coffee:

• Add coffee grounds and water to a large pitcher. Stir. Cover and let sit at room temperature overnight for up to 12 hours.
• Strain mixture through a coffee filter or cheesecloth. Discard leftover coffee grounds. Store coffee in fridge until ready to use.
• Fill a large glass with ice cubes. Add coffee, vanilla syrup, and half and half. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or maple vanilla cinnamon syrup as needed.

Crunched for time: Speed it up by making coffee the regular hot way (but stronger). Then add ice to it, which will dilute it. Place it in the refrigerator until its cooled down and voila!

Note: If you really want to impress your friends just add a fresh stick of cinnamon and some whipped cream.  Serve in a mason jar and watch jaws drop!