On Saturday, we invited some friends over for a little “greens” party, which featured dishes made with the lettuce, spinach, and other leafy vegetables so abundant in Maine right now. We invited Chuck and Erma as well as Steve and Margy, who brought a delightful young man named Dareen—I’m not sure if I’m spelling it right—a student from the Ivory Coast.

This gathering followed the course of all our summer gatherings when the weather is nice. We started with appetizers on the patio, at around 2:30 P.M., and we finished with dessert, inside to escape the mosquitoes, at about 7:00 P.M.. My husband, Clif, and I take our cues from the French and the Italians, who love to host long, leisurely meals with friends.

Let’s face it. We live in a rushed, hectic world where everyone is pretty much on screech most of the time. If people aren’t working, they are doing chores around the house. If they aren’t doing chores, they are checking their emails and Facebook. Or sending instant messages. Or twittering. Or talking on their cell phones. At our gatherings, all those things are set aside for several hours so that people can eat, relax, and socialize. Basic human stuff that too often gets lost in busy schedules.

Clif served his grilled bread, which is always a hit, and the greens, made into salads and spinach pie (spanakopita), were also pretty tasty. But the real star of the gathering was a drink Chuck made that was so simple and delicious that we were all amazed we had never had it anywhere else or had thought to make it ourselves.

Here’s is what Chuck did: Using his own maple syrup, he poured about 1/4 of cup of it in a large glass. He added sparkling water and ice and stirred everything up until the drink had a lovely amber hue. And that’s it. Except this drink is so unabashedly good—it’s like drinking essence of maple—that we all raved and marveled for quite a while.

Margy said, “I’ve never had anything like this, and I’ve never seen anything like this in a store.”

“You could start a business,” Steve added, and Chuck smiled modestly. “But what would we call the drink?”

Several names were bandied about, but when “Maple Revolution” came up, everyone agreed this was a splendid name. Then, for the title of this piece, I added “Uncle Chuck’s,” and Clif thinks that’s a fine addition to go with “Maple Revolution.” He can visualize a logo where Chuck, somewhat defiantly, raises a glass of Maple Revolution. Perhaps there could even be the tag lines: “It’s time for a maple revolution. It’s sweet, it’s natural, and it comes from trees.”

So, readers, at your next gathering, make your own Maple Revolution. You will need three things—real maple syrup, sparkling water, and ice. I suggested using 1/4 cup of maple syrup, but this amount can be fiddled with according to taste. Once the drink is made, sit on your deck, patio, or lawn, and make a toast to summer and all good things that come from the earth.