A Spirited Match

Bärenjäger’s partnership with Brothers in Bees seems like a match made in heaven. Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur has always benefited from a recipe that calls for an abundance of high-quality, natural honey. The liqueur recipe, which includes 225 grams of honey in each bottle, was developed by 18th-century hunters who sought to lure bears from their caves (Bärenjäger translates to “bear hunter”). So supporting beekeepers and honey producers is a natural fit.

Jenny Manger, marketing director of Niche Import Co. (the company that imports Bärenjäger), explained, “We decided this year to align with a good cause and give back to our bee community. While searching for a charity that helps save the bees, I came across Brothers in Bees and reached out to them. I love their story and their mission. Being the fiancé of a Navy veteran, I love that we can not only help save the bees, but also help our vets.”

The Brothers in Bees organizers have dedicated themselves to establishing a beekeeping program just for U.S. veterans. “When a veteran joins us, we provide them tools, equipment, and bees to get started, at no cost to them,” said a representative from Brothers in Bees. “From day one, we provide them education, materials, and hands-on hive side mentoring to help them get the best start as a beekeeper.” Furthermore, if a veteran does not desire to own a hive, they can help manage one of Brothers in Bees’ apiaries— the organization provides all the necessary gear.

Additionally, supporting bee programs is beneficial to everyone, and Brothers in Bees aims to raise awareness that bees are an integral part of our everyday life. Manger quoted Greenpeace to explain why bees are so crucial: “‘Honey bees—wild and domestic—perform about 80 percent of all pollination worldwide. A single bee colony can pollinate 300 million flowers each day ... Seventy out of the top 100 human food crops, which supply about 90 percent of the world’s nutrition, are pollinated by bees.’”

Everything from pesticides and habitat destruction to pollution and climate change severely damage bee populations. “The bottom line is that we know humans are largely responsible for the two most prominent causes: pesticides and habitat loss,” said Manger. “So we need to do our part to save them, as we are the reason they are losing their population.”

Thus, Bärenjäger will donate proceeds from every 750ml and 1-liter bottle sold of Bärenjäger Honey Liqueur or Bärenjäger Honey + Bourbon to Brothers in Bees for an entire year. Furthermore, Bärenjäger will create awareness by communicating the cause on its website, the back of its gift sets, and all point-of-sale materials.

Bärenjäger’s expanded awareness will hopefully lead to even more growth for Brothers in Bees, which in 2017 and 2018 increased its apiary from 2 hives to 12; harvested more than 170 pounds of honey; expanded operations to Denver, Colorado; placed honey at Worker B stores in Minnesota, and collaborated with local chefs and restaurants … to name just a few achievements.

By Mathew Powers