Bee Well’s The Ghost

Bottoms Up

By Todd VanSickle | Feb. 23, 2019

The Ghost at Bee Well Mead & Cider in Bellaire won’t scare you, but it will leave you feeling warm — er, make that hot— and fuzzy. Just don’t let this cider’s near translucent appearance fool you. This unique drink, which is infused with a slew of hot peppers, including Carolina Reapers, Scotch Bonnets and Ghost Peppers from local gardeners — packs a substantial punch. Credit co-owner and brewer Jeremy VanSice: “I have always been a fan of hot peppers,” he said. “I like hot sauces a lot. Anything peach and habanero is right up my alley.” True to VanSice’s tastebuds, the first sip of The Ghost hits the back of your throat with a stingy (and addictive) sensation but is soothed by the sweetness of passion fruit, peach cider and locally grown apples. It is a must-try cider, but if spicy isn’t your thing, Bee Well has 20 others on tap at its new downtown Bellaire location, where the smell of apples greets you the moment you walk through the tasting room’s barn-shaped façade. Inside, reclaimed relics from Antrim County apple orchards, a schoolhouse, church, and barns create the meadery’s décor, from tables to the tin ceiling. The lights over the bar are shaded by hand-woven bee skeps, and honeycomb-shaped shelves dot the walls. Get in soon; Bee Well will be buzzing with activity this spring as it break ground on a new production facility and press. Find it: 3533 S Derenzy Rd., in Bellaire.(231) 533-6323, www.beewellmeadery.com