Buzzing with flavor: The Bearded Bee's journey
In 2017, Derek Ayscue's apiary produced an abundance of honey, more than he could ever imagine sharing with just friends and family. Little did he know that this honey would become the sweet inspiration behind a thriving venture that would soon captivate the taste buds of an entire community.
Ayscue's journey from honey to mead began with a simple thought – what if he could turn this golden nectar into something extraordinary?
With endless enthusiasm, Ayscue embarked on his mead-making adventure. His first batch of mead, a labor of love crafted from his surplus honey, yielded a whopping five gallons. To his delight, it was an instant hit among those lucky enough to taste it. This marked the inception of Ayscue's brewing fervor, a passion that would soon take center stage in his life.
As the years rolled on, Ayscue's talents in the realm of home brewing began to earn him accolades and recognition on a local scale. However, he had much bigger dreams. The vision of sharing his newfound passion with the wider community burned brightly within him.
Enter Keri, his supportive and equally enthusiastic wife, who shared his vision wholeheartedly. Together, they embarked on the journey of bringing their craft to a broader audience. But the dream was too big for just the two of them to handle alone.
Then, fate intervened in the form of a fortuitous meeting with a friend, Dave Lewis. The trio saw the potential in joining forces, each bringing unique skills and a shared love for brewing to the table. It was a match made in brewing heaven.
Another friend helped with the name.
"A friend of ours said, 'You should call it the bearded, bearded bee, because actually bearding is a beekeeping term when they congregate on the outside of their hive, it looks like it's bearding,'" Keri Ayscue said.
With the team assembled and the vision firmly in place, the next challenge was finding a place.
As if guided by fate, doors began to open for the Bearded Bee team. After a relatively short search, they discovered the ideal location in downtown Wendell, North Carolina. The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into place.
Today, The Bearded Bee is a buzzing brewery, serving up a delightful range of craft brews that pay homage to their beekeeping roots and love for fermentation.
Keri Ayscue graciously shared a taste of the honey that started it all, reminding us that sometimes, the most remarkable journeys begin with a single drop of inspiration. So, the next time you savor a pint of Bearded Bee's mead or craft beer, remember that it all began with the humble honeybee and a dream.
