Beekman & Beekman

We love this place. Beautiful garden and surroundings.
We always get great pictures of the kids and buy some delicious honey. They have a beautiful Tasting Room with very friendly staff.

I’m bummed to be writing this negative review about a place we’ve enjoyed in the past, but I was so disappointed with a recent experience in the tasting room that I feel obligated to «speak up». We had special guests from the east coast and wanted to share the best of the Central Valley with them. The tasting room at Beekman and Beekman was immediately on our list, as we have been here a number of times before and enjoyed the experience as well as the products. We arrived at the tasting room on a Saturday afternoon around 3:30PM, excited to share this unique place with our guests.
Problem #1: sprinklers were on and the spray was pretty thoroughly blocking the only entrance. We could see — and be seen by — the woman behind the counter inside, and we were clearly wanting to come in but not wanting to be soaked in the process. She made no move to step out to check out the problem, and when we eventually ran through the sprinklers to enter, she said something like, «Yeah, I don’t know why they’re on like that — haha.» No attempt to apologize, offer us a paper towel to dry off, nothing. Sort of disappointing, but… we’re here for the honey.
Problem #2: The woman behind the counter (presumably the tasting hostess) made no attempt to offer us an opportunity to taste, and was in fact quite caught up in some interaction on her phone, so we had to ask if tasting was available. After our prompting, she pointed us in the right direction and then sort of left us on our own, interacting with us only sporadically to remind us where we should dispose of our tasting picks — oh, and making sure to tell us which of the products she DIDN’T like herself. Huh?!?
Problem #3: As we tasted the range of products, we had several questions, and her responses ranged from «I don’t know» to «I have no idea how they make that» to «Oh I didn’t realize that was made from honey» (as a hostess behind a honey tasting bar in a honey shop at a honey manufacturer). She certainly knew prices, though, and repeatedly reminded us how much items cost and where we might find them in the shop («back there», «over there somewhere», etc.). She then asked a fairly insensitive question about the ages of our party, maybe in the interest of finally making conversation? I don’t know. I was looking at her pretty sideways by that point.
Anyway, we made a few purchases and were on our way, but I was embarrassed to have spoken so highly of the place and to have gone out of our way to take our dear guests there. I have lived in the Central Valley all my life, and I am so proud of our diverse and wonderful natural offerings. I only wish that in this case, the Valley’s citizens could have been something to be proud of as well. :(
I’d be giving just one star, but the honey itself is just so lovely, and kept at least a touch of sweetness in a pretty sour experience.

The best honey I’ve ever tried. It’s very thick (viscous) and thats because the quality is outstanding. The stuff you but at retail stores is generally very runny. They also have Mead (honey wine). It’s exquisite. Great products here and the staff is friendly too.

I just wrote a feature article on Beekman & Beekman’s Lavender harvest a few weeks ago, so I had the chance to discover something entirely new. The Beekman’s are known for their delicious honey and even honey wine but, many people don’t realize that they have been growing organic lavender for over 5 years now, and have a traditional lavender harvest open to the public each June.
I interviewed their go to lavender guy, a gentleman from Petaluma who extracts the oil from the harvested lavender, which is bottled and sold for a variety of things.
Of course, Beekman and Beekman is a honey company and has been bottling up that delicious nectar of the god’s since the beginning of the last century. They’re pro’s, and I’d be hard pressed to find any honey that beats the flavor or tradition of theirs.
To find out more about Beekman & Beekman, visit their website www. beekmanandbeekman, com. You can buy most of their products there.

All things honey and lavender, it seems, including honey wine (aka mead) and varieties from star thistle to California sage. Giant, bushy lavender rows crowd a large plot outside the gift shop, and sometimes a lavender distillery of sorts will be set up – beakers, flasks, and all – with sample dried varieties for visitors to compare and contrast. The shop sells lavender linen water, orange blossom soaps, and other «estate» products, but the stars are the honeys you can sample at the bar, as well as the sweet mead.
It’s an unexpected find nestled off 99 – definitely the antithesis of the strip malls hugging the highway.