INFUSION COFFEE & TEA x ISLAND HONEY BEE
What's the Buzz?
We’re celebrating Earth Month with a special partnership!
Infusion Coffee & Tea is excited to feature natural local honey from Island Honey Bee! Complimentary servings of this award-winning honey will be offered at our Upper Tumon, Landmark, and Tamuning cafes from April 18 to 30! Just ask for it when you order a bagel or ciabatta and enjoy it in its pure form.
Whether you drizzle the honey onto your bagel, or use it as a dip, we’re sure you’ll love it as much as we do! The three cafes will have 8 oz and 12 oz bottles available for purchase from April 18, marking the first time Island Honey Bee is sold outside its shop in Tiyan!
Learn more about what makes Island Honey Bee so unique – and deliciously sweet!
Bee-lieve it!
Guam bees are currently safe from the two biggest threats to bee colonies worldwide!
The greatest threat to honey bees is the Varroa mite, a parasite that can cause the collapse of entire colonies. Guam is one of two places in the world (with Australia) that does not have this pest, so hives do not need to be treated with chemicals and pesticides to kill it. This results in a more natural honey.
The second-biggest threat to bees is cold weather. But, because Guam enjoys warm, tropical weather year-round, the bees’ work is not disrupted and honey can be produced throughout the year! Bees forage and pollinate tropical wildflowers and local fruit trees, creating a unique sweetness found only here in Guam!
Island Honey Bee does not heat or process the honey. From the hive, large natural particles (pollen, honey comb, and bees) are strained from the honey before being bottled. The end-product is 100% pure, raw, unfiltered, local honey.
The Bee's Knees!
This expression refers to something of excellence or very high quality, which is something that Island Honey Bee is committed to.
Taking great pride in their product, honey samples were sent to the Good Food Foundation for a blind taste-test contest. According to the Good Food Foundation website, the award “recognizes that truly good food – the kind that brings people together and builds strong, healthy communities…honors social and environmental responsibility while celebrating craftsmanship and flavor.”
Over 2,000 entries are submitted each year from the United States and its territories. About 200 winners are chosen. These are “the exceptional food crafters who top the charts in a Blind Tasting and meet the environmental and social responsibility standards of the Good Food Awards.”
In 2020, Island Honey Bee received the Good Foods Award Raw Honey Winner. In 2021, it was awarded the Good Foods Award Creamed Honey Winner.
One in a Bee-llion
Paul Packbier is the founder of Island Honey Bee, and is Guam’s only Master Beekeeper
He also co-founded the Guam Beekeeper’s Association and serves as its Vice President.
As President of PCR Environmental, Inc, a local environmental consulting company started in 1996, a conversation with a UOG Professor turned to honey bees. It piqued Paul’s interests, and he started keeping and raising honey bees, and ultimately completed the University of Montana’s Master Level Beekeeping Certificate Program in 2018.
Island Honey Bee’s 30+ hives in 6 locations around the island are all managed, harvested and maintained personally by Paul himself. The passion and pride for his work are clearly evident when you talk to him about bees and honey.
Learn more about Island Honey Bee!
Bees FAQ
What is raw honey?
Raw honey comes directly from the honeycomb and is never heated or processed. The beekeeper only strains the honey to remove any debris or impurities. Raw honey may look opaque or cloudy, but it is all-natural and safe (and delicious) to consume. Plus, because it hasn’t been heated, raw honey retains most of its natural nutrients and antioxidant benefits.
Raw honey also contains bee pollen and bee propolis. These contribute to honey’s natural ability to heal wounds and kill bacteria. It’s been known to have antibacterial, anti-fungal, and pain-relieving properties.
WHY BUY RAW LOCAL HONEY?
Raw, local honey can help a person get acclimated to local pollen and allergens. Because the bees forage around local flowers and trees, and raw honey is not filtered or processed, pollen is present in it. Consuming raw, local honey is a fun and tasty way for some people to adjust after making Guam their new home!
IS ISLAND HONEY BEE RAW OR ORGANIC?
Island Honey Bee offers 100% pure, raw, unfiltered local honey. Bees forage on flowers anywhere within a 2 mile radius from their hive, so determining the exact source of nectar is not possible, and explains why the honey is considered “wildflower” honey. Since Guam honey bees do not need to be treated for Varroa mites, the honey is actually MORE “organic” than honeys from other (foreign) sources that do treat their hives.
A common saying is that you don’t know if something is REAL honey unless you know the beekeeper. At Infusion, we’ve done our homework and we know this local beekeeper and his award-winning honey!
WHY IS INFUSION SERVING ISLAND HONEY BEE WITH BAGELS AND CIABATTA?
Enjoying a bagel with honey was new for some of us, and we wanted to share it with you! It’s a delicious way to taste the local honey in its purest form, and appreciate it as a craft, not commercial, honey. This is why we’re offering a free serving upon request with the purchase of a bagel or ciabatta from April 18 to 30, 2022, in select cafes.
We think you’ll love it as much as we do, so bottles of Island Honey Bee honey are for sale from April 18 in our Upper Tumon, Tamuning, and Landmark cafes. Because great care is taken to raise and harvest pure, raw local honey, volume is limited, and we’re only able to offer it in select locations for now. Through this collaboration, we hope more people can appreciate how fortunate we are to have such high-quality honey here in Guam and support the hard work and efforts of Island Honey Bee!
The content and information are for informational and educational purposes, and not intended as dietary or medical advice.
Please consult a doctor for advice on what best fits your needs.