Beeline for the Bar

Bee one of the first to try the one-of-a-kind Queen Bee cocktail at Poplar Place in downtown Aberdeen. What’s so special about it? Other than the fact that they’ve brought whole new meaning to purple drank, this prohibition-style cocktail is made with the elusive purple honey. If you’re new here, purple honey is a rarity which occurs naturally only in The Sandhills of North Carolina – no one really knows how or why, but when beekeepers get lucky enough to find it in their hives, it’s like striking gold. 

This year, Donald Dees of Dees Bees Apiary says he got more purple honey than ever before. Although he’s already sold out of jars for the year, Nate Lonnen, the owner of Poplar Place and The Workshop Tavern, bought enough to keep The Queen Bee on the menu as long as he can. But the partnership between Donald and Nate isn’t new. Nate frequently uses Donald’s amber honey for dinner specials at The Workshop Tavern, as well as any cocktails that require honey. For Nate, starting with local ingredients is always a priority.

One day the two began chatting about purple honey, “We thought ‘how cool would it be to have the first drink of its kind in the world?'” says Nate. “And it’s from the community, it’s from right here,” adds Donald.

Ready to get a buzz? The drink is made with purple honey-infused gin, egg white, lemon, juniper and a little crème de violette. It’s subtly sweet with a smooth texture, thanks to the egg white. “It’s exciting to me that the drink helps support both businesses,” says Nate, “We share in the success of this drink.” Missing this would sting.