Step one: bees make honey. Step two: bartenders use honey in their cocktails. Step three: we enjoy those cocktails. Deco’s Alex Miranda knows all about it first-hand.

The cocktail scene in the 305 is strong. Some SoFlo are actually using locally-sourced honey, so in honor of this being National Honey Month, I went to see what the buzz was about.

These bees want to get you buzzed.

They are cranking out honey that’s getting mixed into your mixed drinks across South Florida.

Alex Miranda: “When I go to the bar, I don’t expect that my cocktail’s gonna have natural honey that’s local.”

Nick Bofill, beekeeper: “Bartenders are getting craftier by the day, so when these bartenders sit back and want to create a different cocktail, they’re trying to hit these notes.”

Beekeeper Nick Bofill — also known as the Native Guy — helps supply SoFlo with local honey, like here at the Jaguar Sun pop-up in lot six of Little River, where he set up a hive for Deco.

Alex Miranda: “All right, it’s time to suit up!”

First, Nick and I use a smoker full of pinestraw needle and hay to let the bees know we’re here and come in peace.

Nick Bofill: “It gets them a little buzzed.”

Alex Miranda: “Oh! Wait, it gets them buzzed?!”

Nick Bofill: “Yeah.”

Alex Miranda: “It gets them, like, drunk? Ehh, kind of? It soothes them?”

Nick Bofill: “It soothes them out, for sure.”

So what we’re doing here is a hive inspection.

We’re looking for honey, and not being stung is also ideal.

Nick Bofill: “This is half-capped, uncapped honey, so this one, the entire frame…”

Alex Miranda: “Ah! This one just touched my hand.”

Nick Bofill: “It’s all right.”

Not the best part, but after a little while, “bee”-lieve me when I tell you, I started becoming one with the hive.

Alex Miranda: “Fun fact: the queen lays 1,500 eggs a day, and once she’s done with the male and he’s completed his service to the queen, she kills him! OK, so this is all honey. OK, cool!”

Very cool because this all gets bottled and ends up in cocktails mixed with Aberfeldy Whiskey.

Gabriel Urrutia, Aberfeldy Whiskey ambassador: “Guests are actually looking for something extraordinary. They’re looking for incredible ingredients. One of those incredible ingredients is honey.”

There’s the herbed honey smashed — sort of like a whiskey sour — and the golden dram, like an old fashioned, but with honey instead of sugar.

Hillary Jaroschy, customer: “Whenever possible, if you can use local ingredients, you should. We’re supporting not only a local business but the local ecosystem.”

Alex Miranda: “Time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Ah!”

Nick the Native Guy is based in Homestead, and along with the Jaguar Sun pop-up, you can get cocktails like the ones seen on this story at the Champagne Bar in Surfside and Vista in Miami.

FOR MORE INFO:

Jaguar Sun pop-up
7357 NW Miami Court
Miami, FL 33150
jaguarsunmia.com

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