Coming in Hot: Monks Meadery and Savannah Bee Company Mead Exclusive

New Mead Announcement

Hey ya’ll! Would we really be in the south if we didn’t say that at least once in our blog? Today particularly it fits, because not only will we be introducing an upcoming hot, tropical mead just in time for summer to join our 5 summer meads line up, but this mead comes from the collaboration of two businesses started right here in the South, Monks Meadery and Savannah Bee Company.

As you may have learned in previous blogs, after basement experimentations of 2 broke college students to make a highly boozy drink, Justin and Martin made a mead that was like no other on the market at the time. They went commercial in 2011. Coincidentally this was around the same time that Savannah Bee Company was looking to open a few mead bars in their retail locations. It wasn’t long until Monks Mead caught their taste buds and the relationship between the two companies began. Unfortunately, it would take Monks, as a new Meadery, a few years to get the boozy new drink into bottles and rotation with Savannah Bee Company.

Since then you’ve tasted Savannah Bee Company’s lavender honey in our Stigmata, and their wildflower honey in our Peachin to the Choir. But today, we’re going to get you excited for an exclusive mead collaboration between Monks Mead and Savannah Bee Company. Get ready for a new summer mead.

It’s going to be hot, it’s going to be spicy, it’s going to be tropical, and it’s going to be made with Savannah Bee Company’s recently introduced Hot Honey. This sweet and spicy Hot Honey features heat from the scotch bonnet and habanero peppers. And this new tropical mead, in addition to the heat from the honey will feature notes of mango, orange, and pineapple.

More about Savannah Bee Company:

Since 2002, besides selling the highest quality honey, Savannah Bee Company has been giving back. It was in 1999 that Ted Dennard followed in the footsteps of an elderly beekeeper and took on the vision of beekeeping as a way of life, with a mission to save the bees. It wasn’t until three years later that Savannah Bee Company was born as a by-product of that mission when Ted started selling his Tupelo Honey at a friend’s store in Savannah.

Since then, Savannah Bee Company has taken on several initiatives to make a positive contribution to the world around us. In 2014, they reintroduced bees to a bee-less island in their Exuma Project. And since 2013 they have been educating the next generation on the importance of bees as pollinators with their Bee Cause Project.

The Exuma Project

Along with Catherine Booker, the Environmental Project Manager of the Exuma Foundation, Ted took on the task of reintroducing the bees, which ended up proving itself to be quite challenging. However not an easy project to complete, it would help improve the quality of life for people on the island. It started with a call from Catherine when Ted packed up in a frenzy, the one we can all relate to where we grab everything that can be even slightly useful, and hopped on a flight to the Bahamas.

On the island, the foundations of the project are laid with Ted’s beekeeping class to a group of 12 locals who would excitedly take on the beekeeping. The challenges presented themselves in bringing over disease and mite-free bees, getting approval from customs since the bees would be a foreign species to the island, and finding a very brave pilot to fly over 240,000 bees in their plane, since Delta was not interested at all. The timing as well since settling the bees in their hives would be time-sensitive.

After it was approved to bring in bees from Hawaii, the first attempt in getting them to Exuma failed due to the initial pilots increasing concerns about any of the bees escaping their packages. The pilot ultimately backed out and the initial bees from Hawaii had to be homed in Savannah. Several months later, it was Ted’s brave and adventurous friend that took on the task of flying the 240,000 bees in his plane, wearing only a beekeeper’s hat for protection.

This and featured photo from Savannahbee.com

A lot of worry and concern went into the project from transporting the bees in an unpressurized plane, to hoping they stay disease and mite free and have enough nectar to survive. But the projects proved to be successful years later. The bees are thriving to the point that wild swarms are splitting off from their hives in search of new hives. Some locals even chase these wild swarms to provide them a home in their hive. The locals are happy to use bee products in their businesses. Some sell the honey and others use it in personal care products they have for sale. But the ultimate indicator of success is that the bees are still disease and mite free and the beekeepers are now in a position to supply bees to other islands to repeat the process.

The Bee Cause Project

Along with Tami Enright, Ted Dennard also helped, The 501c3 nonprofit, Bee Cause Project install honey bee observation hives in over 330 schools located throughout 50 states in the U.S. and 4 countries around the world. The goal is to help the next generation gain the knowledge necessary to protect the pollinators of our natural environment and develop STEAM skills in the process.

Today Savannah Bee Company not only makes and sells honey but beauty, wellness, and lifestyle products as well. They have over 10 locations in 6 states, where you can find their products in addition to mead and honey bars. And don’t forget The Bee Garden in their Wilmington Island showroom that is worth a visit for a $10 tour where you will truly experience the rhythmic buzzing of the bees, see the inner workings of the hive, learn about the hive and taste the freshest honey straight from the comb. Plus, learn the latest details and stay up to date with their Speaking of Bees podcast.