The Practical Reason Maple Syrup Bottles Have Those Tiny Handles

This may fall in the category of too much idle time in the grocery aisles, but have you ever noticed that maple syrup jars have tiny little handles toward the top? Some claim these dollhouse-sized handles may be a holdover from when syrup and liquids were stored in larger earthenware vessels. The theory here is that the handles became smaller over time as maple syrup began to be sold in smaller quantities, but the handles continued to signify the product inside. 

This line of thought makes the little handles simply a skeuomorph (say that five times fast), meaning a key feature or element from an original design that doesn't necessarily have any current practical purpose. Think of an envelope icon in your email inbox, a shutter "clicking" on your iPhone, or, in the case of food, vegan burger "meat" that's designed to look like it's bleeding.

While the design of a jug with a baby handle that has become smaller over time is quaint, it may just be an invented story. The first record of the glass bottle design with the tiny handle in question was a patent issued in 1951 to Brooks Fuerst, a designer of glass jars and bottles for foods and liquids who worked in Ohio. Though the unique packaging may evoke an air of nostalgia for days gone by, when maple syrup was perhaps more artisanal and stored in larger jugs, it was likely just a creative marketing ploy intended to do just that. So, in all likelihood, the dainty handles are simply a stylistic design choice that has stood the test of time (and seems to sell a lot of the best maple syrup). It's a bit like the iconic Coca-Cola bottle; consumers are looking for the "genuine" article and the authentic feel is directly linked to the packaging.

Interestingly, maple syrup is often still sold in glass or plastic bottles with itty bitty and fairly unusable handles while pancake syrup, a quite different product, is not. Maple syrup is what its name indicates: Sap directly from a maple tree that has been boiled down and packaged. Pancake syrup, though also a sweet, viscous liquid used to accompany breakfast staples beyond just pancakes, is entirely manufactured; it mostly contains high-fructose corn syrup designed to mimic the color, texture, and taste of maple syrup.