Now is the time of year when our calendars fill up all too quickly with holiday parties, potlucks, happy hours, and more. But just because beekeeping season has slowed down, and party season has revved up, doesn’t mean your love for pollinators gets checked at the door. Here are some fun ways to incorporate your love for bees, pollinators, honey, and mead into your holiday celebrations. By the end of the night, your guests are sure to walk away sharing your bee love!
Gifts for Party Hosts
While it is customary to bring the party host a small gift of appreciation, there is no rule that says it has to be the same boring bottle of wine that every other guest is bringing! Introduce the party host into the world of mead with a bottle of your favorite honeywine—stop into Mead Market to pick one out! Our staff is here to help you choose one to fit anyone’s palette. If alcohol isn’t the route you want to take, we have so many gift ideas on our site, likebeeswax candles,hand-forged bottle openers andkeychains, andbeautiful and artistic 2017 calendars.
Mead Cocktail Recipes
Mead is so diverse in its styles and flavor profiles that there are infinite combinations to make exciting, unique, and dynamic cocktails. Invite your friends over for some mixology experimentation, or serve your tried-and-true favorites. Here are three of our go-to combinations!
Cranberry Cocktail
• Honeymaker Dry Mead
• Cranberry juice
• Sprig of fresh rosemary
Mead Old Fashioned
• 1 part whiskey
• 1 part Dansk Mjod Ribe Mead (or apple cyser of choice)
• 1 giant ice cube
• Orange peel
• Simple syrup (optional)
Mead-Mosa
• Nectar Creek Triple Bret
• Orange juice
Sweet-As-Honey Appetizer
Put your honey harvest to good use by serving appetizers and dishes that put your bees’ hard work in the spotlight. We love crackers and brie with a honey drizzle, or make a honey marinade for meats and seafood. Check outour Pinterest board for even more honey inspiration, or pick up somefresh, raw honey right here.
Bee Trivia and Party Games
Who says holiday party games can’t be educational? Turn your favorite honeybee facts into a list of trivia questions (Example: How many wings does a honeybee have? Answer: Four!), divide the guests up into teams, and let the most bee-knowledgeable win!
Alternatively, have a movie night and watch a bee documentary together, likeVanishing of the Bees. You can even turn it into a game by making bingo cards beforehand, with each square for a different word, phrase, or topic that may be mentioned in the movie. Bonus points if you lead a group discussion afterwards about what you can all do right now to support pollinator populations!Here are some ideas to get you started.
“Bee” Crafty with Hive Products
If you’re a beekeeper, you may be finding yourself with more wax and other hive products than you know what to do with. Gather your friends around a craft table and learn to make beauty and wellness products together, like lip balms and salves.Our beeswax crayon-making kits are an easy and kid-friendly activity, too!
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