Also today, LA Weekly published a Q&A with Brent Edelen on it’s blog.

It’s a fairly in-depth interview and really captures the mission of Grampa’s Gourmet. Below are a few excerpts:

​Squid Ink: You’ve always been a beekeeper?
Brent Edelen: No, actually I hated it when I was a kid. My grandfather and my great grandfather were both bee keepers, and you learn quickly that it is pure hard work. I graduated in college with communication degree, doing radio production, but soon after I realized that I couldn’t stand being in an office. I knew I had to be back outside with the bees.

SI: How much of a role does a beekeeper like you truly play in how a honey tastes?
BE: I’d like to say a lot, that it is all me. [Laughs] But what’s really unique is the Southwest, not me. It’s basically giant desert compared to the Midwest and East Coast. Scarcity is what makes these honeys unique. When the flowers bloom, they’re stressed from no water, and I think they are very intense and they really produce a flavor that is more concentrated.

SI: So explain how exactly you “make” a specific varietal of honey.
BE: Well, you do have to manage the bees to keep the florals separate. That’s really all you’re doing. There are different ways. Usually it comes down to placement or timing. Like the chamiso “rabbit brush” blooms only at a certain time, so the key there is getting the other honey you’ve been making [harvested] and starting a new one right away when it blooms.

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