Eastaboga Bee Company – http://www.EastabogaBeeCompany.com – 2014

Thirsty Thursday: Hot Toddies and Alabama Honey

23. March, 2014|News Updates|No comments

With record frigid temperatures blanketing the Deep South, it’s human nature to hibernate within the comforts of our home, preferably with a hot beverage and good book. Hot toddies are my favorite winter cocktail, as one usually has the ingredients lying around the kitchen: citrus, honey, cinnamon, and bourbon or rum. A variety of spices and spirits can be mixed; the only thing I’m picky about is my honey. It’s pretty common knowledge that local, raw honey can help combat allergies, but I make a special allowance for honey from the Eastaboga Bee Company in Lincoln, Alabama.

Justin Hill is the sole owner, and was selected as the 2013 Outstanding Young Farm Family in the Bee & Honey Division at the Young Farmers Leadership Conference last February. Being an avid bee fan and hopeful apiary-owner in the future, I wanted to know his story. Justin’s farm is located just five miles from NASCAR mecca Talladega, but his 300 acres is anything but raucous. A fourth-generation farmer on his family’s land, Justin decided to expand beyond his cattle and horses by adding hives around the property a couple years ago. Now in his fifth year, Justin is a completely self-taught apiarist and sells his raw, unpasteurized honey in and around town. He also makes homemade, preservative-free honey products, and notes the eucalyptus furniture polish is particularly great at keeping away dust mites.

Photo courtesy of ALFA Farmers Federation.

Justin says, “It all started one afternoon. [Beekeeping] was a hobby of mine and I wanted to expand the existing farm. Instead of buying more land (which wasn’t feasible because I was broke), I thought I could put bees in places where we already have land and create a new avenue of income. I now have 41 hives. That’s probably somewhere around a half-million bees.”

His secret is to read a lot of books, go to a couple classes, and then just “stay up real late and don’t pull your hair out. If you’re so inclined, you can do a little cussing.” Sounds like good advice to me. Justin’s honey is found throughout co-ops in Alabama as well. He noted Big Daddy’s BBQ in Munford uses his product in a honey mustard sauce, and the Cheaha Brewing Company uses his honey in their beer.

Written by: Lindsey Kate Reynolds

Link to story: http://www.southernfoodways.org/thirsty-thursday-hot-toddies-and-alabama-honey/