Downtown San Diego's Marina Kitchen Releases Barrel Age Whiskey Made From Honey Sourced From Rooftop Beehinves

August 7, 2019

Marina Kitchen, located inside downtown's Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, has released a honey-infused, barrel-aged whiskey made from fresh, liquefied honey sourced from its very own rooftop beehives.

The urban beekeeping program at San Diego's Marriott Marquis was originally implemented in 2015 in an effort to reduce the property’s carbon footprint and promote the conservation of local nature. Hotel General Manager Tim Herrmann explains that the initiative began as a way to encourage environmental efforts on property and has since grown into a unique element of culinary programming. More than 350,000 honeybees now call the hotel home.

"Urban beekeeping has become an important piece of our environmental efforts," said Herrmann. "We are proud to support the conservation of honeybees while also educating our guests and exploring new and innovative ways to creatively infuse honey into our food and beverage offerings."

Marina Kitchen Honey Barrel Whiskey is made in partnership with local San Diego distillery, Malahat Spirits. After coating the inside of bourbon barrels with fresh honey, the whiskey ages for six months. The result is a sweet and steady bourbon boasting hints of vanilla, caramel, and of course, honey. Marina Kitchen Honey Bourbon is now available at Marina Kitchen, while supplies last, available neat, over ice, or in one of Marina Kitchen’s signature craft cocktails.

"We are in a predicament and realized the first step to changing the honeybee population, globally, is to shift the thinking about bees and start to appreciate them for what they do,” said Travis Wolfe, beekeeper at the Marriott Marquis and founder of Best Friend Bees, a humane honeybee rescue and relocation company. "Backyard beekeeping and urban beekeeping programs such as the one at the Marriott Marquis are important because they demonstrate to the general public how incredibly vital the ladies of the colony are to our environment. Drinking Marina Kitchen Honey Bourbon is a simple way of supporting their conservation and protection."

Marina Kitchen is located at 333 W Harbor Drive within the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina hotel. For more information, visit facebook.com/MarinaKitchenSD.