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I recently paid a visit to Gulf County Florida, and had the opportunity to try something new! I did a honey tasting! And I am looking forward to sharing more about it with you today. And of course, we tasted the world-famous Tupelo honey!
…as sweet as Tupelo Honey
I can’t even write a blog post this without singing a little Van Morrison to myself. He is one of my favorites and while I know every lyric to the song Tupelo Honey I actually didn’t know much about actual Tupelo Honey at all.
Tupelo Honey in Gulf County, Florida
Did you know that Gulf County, Florida (Wewahitchka to be exact) is where most of the world’s Tupelo Honey is produced? Along the Chipola and Apalachicola rivers, you will find the White Tupelo Gum Tree. Their delicate blossoms bloom for a few weeks (or even just a few days) depending on how good the year is. In that short time, the nectar will flow and bees will busily do what they do best.
Have you ever tried Tupelo Honey? Let me know in the comments!
For those who haven’t had a chance to taste it, Tupelo Honey is known for its initial fruity burst followed by a smooth, buttery finish. It almost sounds like I am describing wine right? Well, wait until you hear about this experience!
Honey Tasting at Smiley Honey
Yesterday, I visited one of Gulf County’s local apiaries, Smiley Honey, and tasted over a dozen different types of honey including their world-famous Tupelo Honey. Smiley Honey bottles and distributes a wide variety of honey to delight every palate. And I would know because I got to taste them all!
Did you know that honey tasting is a thing?
Attend a tasting yourself and between the Citrus Honey to Coffee Honey, you are sure to find “your honey” at Smiley Honey! Yes, Coffee Honey. It’s 100% pure honey imported from Guatemala. I don’t even think I realized that coffee plants even bloom. The honey produced even has caffeine in it. It tasted smokey and I actually really loved it! I quickly realized that there is a lot I don’t know about honey.
So, I soaked it all up. I even got some questions answered like “why does my honey crystalize and how do I make it smooth again?” Because it sucks when that happens. Am I right? I found out that while wildflower honey will sugar, Tupelo Honey doesn’t. As if there aren’t enough reasons to love it! I grabbed plenty to take home with me.
I want to take Abby and Jake back because I think that this would be very fun for them but also so educational! I was blown away by the different flavors and really thinking about what all goes into honey and what you can make honey from is fascinating!
While visiting Smiley Honey you can purchase your favorite kinds of honey right there on the stop. They offer a nice range of sizes and I found the prices to be better than the grocery store. I know that my kids will love the Holly and Tupelo Honey so I grabbed those and a Citrus Honey for me. I also picked up a bottle for a friend. One of the gals grabbed a whole bunch and plans to make up some cute gift baskets for friends and family. That would be such a great idea for the holidays too!
FUN FACT: Matt has a friend with allergies and when they go on their annual “guy trips” the first stop has to be for local honey. He said that consuming honey local to the region it can help with those specific allergies (ie the local pollen). When we moved to the South I developed some new allergies and during allergy season last year Matt grabbed me a jar of local honey from a local drugstore and I swear it helped. I am obviously not a doctor and there are mixed opinions on this but you can google it and there is a lot of great research to dig through. It’s pretty interesting!
Anyway, in addition to the honey, they have a variety of gifts available for purchase including beeswax lip balm and hand lotion.
Plan a visit to Smiley Honey and a honey tasting of your own!
Smiley Honey is open M-F 8am-3pm most of the time and they let you do a free honey tasting. You can always call ahead to double-check. And if you just want to buy honey they actually have a stand set up outside that works on the honor system. While in Gulf County this week I saw several businesses that operated this way and it surprised me. It’s such a throwback to simpler times and a testament to how close-knit the community is.
Located less than two hours from my home in Dothan, Alabama it’s a fun and quick stop while on your way to the beach! And while in Wewahitchka (or WeWa as the locals call it) you need to check out the Dead Lakes. It is on my bucket list to do a boat right through this natural wonder!
And if you just can’t get enough Tupelo Honey then add the Wewahitchka Tupelo Honey Festival to your calendar! It takes place on the 3rdSaturday in May and sounds like a great time.
For more information and help planning your next visit to Gulf County, Florida please check out visitgulf.com. You can even request a free visitor’s guide and theirs is top-notch! It’s so pretty and informative that it is actually what got me down there last year.
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Whenever we are in that area of Florida, we always stop and get some Smiley Tupelo Honey to bring home to Illinois! If we happen to run out before we can get back, I just order it online! The best honey around and the owner is the best! I think we will need to make a trip back to the Port St. Joe Beach area in a few months! Only have a few bottles left!
So fun Karen! Did you know that we actually spent many years in Illinois? Our kids were born in Springfield! Their Tupelo Honey can NOT be beaten. We eat it almost every day!
LOVE your article, fellow writer!! Found it while researching Tupelo, MS and Tupelo Honey for upcoming articles. I live only two hours from Wewa and now I’m longing to go get several jars of yummy honey. I focus on exuberant people and fascinating places in the Southern USA. Let’s communicate about some collaborations?!?!