I will never forget the first time I opened up a colony of honey bees. The air humming with the mesmerizing buzz of hundreds of tiny wings taking flight. Beekeeping changed everything for me.​

Receiving a diagnosis for bipolar late on in my life floored me and left me in a kind of wilderness. Having just returned to England from several happy years living in Canada, I knew I needed to find a way to reconnect to nature and regain my balance. I stumbled into beekeeping, and I never looked back.

As a result of my condition, I gave up alcohol, another blow for an enthusiastic homebrewer. But instead of closing a door, this decision opened one. I turned my love of brewing to experimenting with different types of soft drinks, looking for that something special.

Back then, the non-alcoholic options were limited. Just sodas, kombucha, flavoured waters and a few hit-or-miss no-lo beers. I wanted something better, something I'd actually want to enjoy socialising with friends, without the haze of alcohol.

All of this led me to craft my first cold-brewed sparkling tea, and combine it with the honey from my bees. I realised I had created a healthy, unique drink, something very different too the regular soft drinks on the market today. To my great surprise, people loved it.

And so, after multiple rounds of experimentation, trying to find the right blend of tea, and the best balance of its delicate, yet complex flavours with depth and character of pure honey, Black Bear Honey Co. sparkling cold brew tea was born. From my bees to you with love.

Stephen x