Source Plant & Botanical Notes

Botanical name: Clethra alnifolia (Summersweet, also known as Sweet Pepperbush). In mid-to-late summer (typically July through August), Summersweet shrubs burst into thousands of creamy-white flower spikes. These deciduous shrubs thrive in moist woodlands and along stream banks, where their intoxicating perfume – often likened to honey with a hint of clove – draws bees and butterflies from far and wide. Each bloom cluster opens over a period of days, offering bees an abundant supply of sweet, spicy nectar. Because most Summersweet stands flower for only a few weeks each year, the resulting honey is limited to a single late-summer harvest, making this a truly rare monofloral honey opportunity.

Color

Light Amber — clear and pale with a delicate golden-straw hue. The color is light enough for infusions and craft beverages where you want a subtle sweetness without adding dark tones, yet it’s warm enough to lend a gentle glow when drizzled over pastries or stirred into drinks. This honey’s brilliant clarity reflects its pure, unfiltered nature, catching the light with a soft golden shine.

Aroma & Flavor

Aroma: Warm, spice-kissed floral notes. The scent evokes a summer garden in full bloom – sweet and honeyed, with a whisper of clove and wildflower. It’s a gentle, nectarous perfume (Summersweet’s blossoms themselves smell like honey and cloves), inviting and not overpowering.

Flavor: Remarkably sweet and layered. It opens with a bright, pure honey sweetness that some compare to a fluffy marshmallow or cotton candy on the tongue. That initial burst quickly evolves into a mellow spice note – a gentle peppery undertone with hints of cinnamon and clove. Mid-palate, you might detect a subtle licorice/anise-like nuance that adds depth. The finish is clean and smooth, with no bitterness or aftertaste—just a lingering warmth of vanilla and spice. In essence, each taste carries a memory of summer blossoms and a light herbal whisper, without ever becoming heavy or cloying.

Texture & Crystallization

Pour & Mouthfeel: Silky-smooth and fluid. Summersweet Honey has a luxuriously smooth texture and a slow-flowing consistency, making it easy to drizzle. Thanks to a likely higher fructose-to-glucose ratio in the nectar, it tends to stay liquid and pourable for months after harvesting (longer than many typical wildflower honeys).

Crystallization: When crystallization eventually does occur, it happens gradually and yields ultra-fine crystals. The crystallized honey takes on a spreadable, creamy consistency – think of a fine, grain-free powder that melts instantly on the tongue. This fine crystallization means you can spoon it or whip it without gritty texture, ideal for artisan whipped honey or for use in squeeze bottles. Even in crystallized form, the honey retains its balanced flavor and is easy to re-liquefy with gentle warming if desired. (As always, we never pasteurize or force-filter, so natural crystallization is a sign of raw purity.)

Origin & Harvest

Region: High-altitude forests of Mexico. Our Summersweet Honey is sourced from select mountainous micro-regions (e.g. cloud forests in Chiapas and central Mexico) where Clethra shrubs flourish in the wild. These cooler, misty environments mirror the plant’s native habitat and allow for a robust late-summer bloom despite being in Mexico.

Bloom window: Mid-July – late August (weather-dependent). Summersweet is a late bloomer; its flowers peak in the hottest part of summer, when few other nectar sources are available. This short bloom period provides an intense but brief nectar flow, typically yielding honey only once per year at summer’s end.

Method: Single-floral harvest, handled with utmost care. We remove honeycomb frames from the hives within 1–2 days of capping to preserve freshness. The honey is extracted by centrifugal force at ambient temperatures and gravity-strained only – never heated, pasteurized, or ultrafiltered. This minimal handling ensures all the natural enzymes, pollens, and volatile flavor compounds remain intact. Annual yields are very limited; each batch is kept separate to reflect the subtle terroir of its specific grove or hillside source. The result is a truly raw honey that captures the essence of Mexico’s summer woodlands.

Culinary Pairings & Uses

• Premium teas & chai: Adds sweetness with a subtle spice. Ideal for enhancing delicate green teas, herbal tisanes, or chai lattes – it sweetens without overpowering, and its mild clove note can complement aromatic tea spices.
• Spiced desserts: Elevates baked goods and winter treats. Brush it over gingerbread, spice cakes or pumpkin pie for extra depth, or use it in cinnamon rolls and carrot cake glaze. The natural honey–clove essence of Summersweet Honey enriches desserts like apple tart or pear crumble, layering in a cozy, aromatic sweetness.
• Breakfast & brunch: Drizzle over waffles, pancakes, or oatmeal. A spoonful on Greek yogurt with fruits and granola adds an indulgent touch, turning a simple breakfast bowl into a fragrant delight. It’s also wonderful slathered on warm biscuits, buttered toast or cornbread – the light spice in the honey gives a comforting twist to morning favorites.
• Cocktails & warm drinks: A secret weapon for mixologists and baristas. Dissolve Summersweet Honey in warm water to make a spiced honey syrup for cocktails. It shines in a hot toddy, mulled wine or hot cider, where its gentle peppery sweetness rounds out the flavors. In summer, use it to sweeten iced teas, lemonades or gin cocktails (like a honeyed gin fizz) – it adds clear sweetness and a botanical hint reminiscent of a craft bitters or amaro, but far more subtle.
• Cheese & charcuterie: A standout on the cheese board. Pair this light amber honey with creamy cheeses like chèvre or Brie, where its floral-spice notes accentuate the creaminess. It also complements aged cheeses (such as sharp cheddar or Gouda) by offsetting their saltiness with aromatic sweetness. Drizzle it over prosciutto or cured ham for a gourmet bite – the touch of clove in the honey echoes the traditional pairing of honey and cloves in glazed ham, creating an elegant sweet-savory balance.

Why Choose Summersweet Honey?

For chefs, mixologists, and honey aficionados seeking something truly unique, Summersweet Honey (Light Amber) offers a rare snapshot of late summer’s beauty in a jar. It delivers a distinctive yet versatile flavor profile – sweet and flowery with a whisper of spice – that can uplift both everyday recipes and artisanal creations. Its light amber clarity and extended fluidity mean it’s as easy on the eyes and easy to work with as it is on the palate. Harvested only once per year from a fleeting bloom and carefully kept raw, this honey captures the essence of wild Mexican summer. Whether you’re crafting a delicate tea, a dessert, or a cheese pairing, Summersweet Honey provides a graceful, aromatic twist that turns ordinary moments into memorable flavor experiences.

In short, Summersweet Honey is what you reach for when you want character without heaviness – a honey that brings both sweetness and story to the table. From its origin in secluded mountain groves to your kitchen, it arrives as a limited-edition gift of nature: pure, fragrant and undeniably special.

Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Quality

This honey is presented exactly as the bees created it – 100% raw, unfiltered, and unadulterated. We take pride in delivering Summersweet Honey in its most natural state. That means no pasteurization, no high-heat processing, and no ultra-fine filtering that might strip away beneficial components. Every jar is harvested at peak bloom and gently strained just enough to remove large comb pieces, while preserving all the good stuff: live enzymes, natural antioxidants, pollen grains, and delicate aromatic compounds unique to Summersweet flowers.

The result is pure, potent honey, just as nature intended. You may notice over time that it crystallizes or that each batch has slight variations in color or aroma – these are testaments to its raw authenticity and the specific floral sources of each harvest. We never blend with other honeys or take shortcuts, so you can be confident each spoonful is brimming with full-strength flavor and nutrients. From hive to jar, our handling is minimal and respectful, ensuring that when you taste Summersweet Honey, you experience the true flavor of the blossom and the quality that comes from careful, traditional beekeeping practices.