The Native Guy Brings Honey to the Bars
When you seek out local raw honey, you know you’re getting a pure product and supporting this essential pollinator. One beekeeper is sharing this message and the flavors of local honey with South Florida bartenders.
Using honey in cocktails is nothing new. Classic cocktails like the Canchánchara and the Bee’s Knees rely on honey for flavor and sweetness. But there’s more to the story about bees that Nick Bofill, also known as The Native Guy, wants to tell bartenders and the public.
Born and raised in Miami, Bofill grew up in the landscape business. “I followed my grandfather and dad around the family business,” he says. “When I was 21, I began studying for different state licenses. The more knowledge I gained about Florida’s native landscapes, the more I realized how important its pollinators are. Without bees, our landscape would be completely different.”
Now a certified horticulturist, Bofill fell in love not only with flowers and plants, but the process of making honey and beekeeping. Today he brings honey into the bars, and talks about the role of bees in pollination and the decline of the bee population throughout the world. “The honey bee may seem like a small insignificant insect that many people tend to be afraid of,” he says. “But in reality, honey bees play an important role in our everyday lives. I noticed the huge gap in the connection with our community and these beautiful insects.” He also dispels the myth of bees being violent. “They really just mind their own business. In South Florida, we have fruit trees everywhere in our neighborhoods and honey bees are who we have to thank for that.”
The Buzz in Bars
The Standard Hotel, 1 Hotel, Café La Trova, Ariete, Stubborn Seed and Marion, just a few of the bars whose staff has been educated on the bees, have been utilizing the honey in unique and creative ways, says Bofill. Simple syrup, made with sugar, is not always the best ingredient for a craft cocktail, especially in bars with a farm-to-table ethos. Instead, you can use a honey syrup. He recently partnered with Aberfeldy Scotch Whisky to create The Golden Dram, a cocktail that uses Florida orange blossom honey in place of simple syrup. Aberfeldy is a perfect pairing for its longer fermentation times.
Different honeys change the taste and flavors of the cocktail. Florida holly honey is best with an Espresso Martini. If you want to create a cocktail with a dark rum, he recommends Florida mangrove honey. Bofill says he loves to use the honeycomb that he infuses with spirits as a garnish. He has several hives in Redland with boxes in fruit groves, and also sources honey from North Central Florida for other flavors like orange blossom.
When you buy honey, make sure it’s from local beekeepers. Find local honey at farmers markets and farm stands, local gift shops and some supermarkets, but read the label carefully. The Native Guy honey is available throughout South Florida and on his website, where you can also order soaps and extracts made from honey and bee products as well.
