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at treasure is used in many ways at Beeside Balcony, adding sweetness, depth, and viscosity to a pair of vinaigrettes (lemon- honey, champagne) as well as a Grand Marnier reduction sauce adorning a baklava ice cream cake. It's also a key ingredient in the restaurant's sparkling lavender lemonade and a "Bee's Knees" cocktail made with butterfly pea flower gin. It is also served as an accoutrement on a "Bee's Board" with assorted cheeses, charcuterie, pita bread, and dips. In addition to using the honey in the kitchen, the Cevascos also sell jars of their liquid gold at the restaurants. (A second Beeside Balcony location opened in downtown La Jolla in 2023.) Ten percent of profits from those sales are donated to a bee-specific wildlife fund. Last year, Christophe (who now tends to the bees on his own) extracted 130 pounds of honey from his estate hives. Extraction takes place in hotter months, typically in late spring, summer, and if it's warm enough, early fall. e process involves puffing smoke into the hives — each of which consists of eight wooden frames coated in honey-laced wax — to subdue the bees and make them less likely to defend their territory. From there, the frames are removed and inserted into a centrifuge where the honey is separated from the comb, then filtered and jarred. Each year's harvests yield honey with different colors and flavor profiles based on where the bees source their pollen. While bees can travel as far as five miles a day in search of pollen, the majority of what the Cevascos' colonies gather comes from flora in their front and back yards. at includes citrus, avocado, apple, pomegranate, persimmon, apricot, and palm trees, as well as succulents, French lavender, and oregano. e Cevascos are enamored with their bees and all they have brought to their lives and their business. ey hope to keep growing their apiary and also install a stand-alone enclosed structure in which to process the honey from their hives. is would allow for production of more jarred honey, including versions flavored with turmeric, cayenne, and other ingredients. ey would also like to explore the possibility of using the wax to develop a line of skin-care products. Until then, we're happy to enjoy the sweet rewards of their bees' efforts on Beeside's restaurant menu. PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHLOE PEDERSEN @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE AUGUST 2025 65