Move Over Wine! There’s a One of a Kind Tasting in the Finger Lakes – Honey

Move over wine. There's a new one-of-a-kind tasting in town - honey.

Bee amazed at what Bright Raven Farm & Apiary, in Trumansburg, New York has to offer. The Honeybee Embassy in the Finger Lakes, opened by owners Brent Welch and Teresa Vanek in October 2020, serves up honey like you've never tasted before. "We could talk about the difference, but you need to try it for yourself," said Welch.

What makes the honey taste so good? It starts with the soil, the same thing that makes Finger Lakes wine taste so good. After years of hard work, Welch says the soil on the farm is alive and rich. "Good soil produces great nectar in the region."

That nectar is gathered from a wide variety of flowering plants and trees. "We have different kinds of honey depending on the time of year and the different plants," said Welch. "You get whatever the bees give you but it's always unique."

What the bees give you and what you get in the store aren't close to the same. Most honey in the store is heated and filtered. Welch says their honey is raw. "The less we fiddle with the honey the better it tastes."

Try it for yourself inside the Honeybee Embassy, a beautiful screen pavilion offering honey tastings. "We have people stopping by all the time just because of the building, asking what it is," Welch said. "It took a couple if years to build, but in the end it's paying off."

Honey tastings, similar to wine tastings, are popular in California, but this may be the first of its kind in New York. "We didn't even know this was a thing," said Welch. "We realized after tasting it ourselves, we could open a whole new market."

It's not just raw honey either. There's a wide variety of honey products, including lip balm, soap, candles and even honey infused chocolate. The Honeybee Embassy is only open a few days a week but Welch says they hope to add more during the main season. "We may also offer bee tours in the future."

Experience it for yourself Fridays from 12pm to 5pm or Saturdays from 10am to 4pm when the Honeybee Embassy is open at intersection of Swamp College and Halseyville Roads in Trumansburg, New York. Or shop online at Brightravenfarm.com and have it shipped to your home.