"We understand the bees, and we understand the customers we are dealing with," says Gary Kareff of SMAK Attack. "We know what they're looking for... the unusual. And we try to provide that."
Kareff is talking about honey from his company SMAK Attack, with its 12 to 20 flavors, ranging from lavender to avocado to wildflower and more.
Raw honey is all the foodie rage these days, and SMAK Attack's is just that. Kareff describes it as "pure and natural," and he doesn't boil it or expose it to high heat, rather letting the "warmth of the Florida sunshine [do] the job."
To make so many flavors of this honey, beekeepers at SMAK Attack plant hives from the upper Keys to Central Florida, where different trees and flowers are growing. With the different flowers on each tree, the bees get to drink a wide variety of nectar, and that's how you end up with a wide variety of honey flavors -- flavors like like orange, avocado, and even mangrove.
Kareff also makes infused honey, which is when the unusual ingredients get added to the nectar. Take, for instance, the garlic honey that was featured at this year's Garlic Fest in Delray Beach. Kareff says that SMAK Attack is the first company to make garlic honey; it was such a big hit, more was made.
Kareff believes in the health benefits honey provides. For instance, he states that dark honey, like avocado and buckwheat honey, are good for a sore throat or cold.
"Honey is healthy because it's a simple sugar, not a processed," he says. "Honey is antibacterial and can heal wounds."
Despite the dying of bee colonies and the resulting decline honey production (around 30 percent, according to Kareff) in the past year, he is still optimistic about honey's future.
He plans to house the bees at the Urban Farmer by the new Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park in October. There is even talk about the Funky Buddha using the honey for its beer.
Kareff's honey is so special, so out of the ordinary, he prefers to provide his customers a more personal touch.
"If we were to put our honey on the store shelves, it would sit there because people don't understand it," says Kareff.
Which is why you'll find SMAK Attack only at local farmers' markets and not on grocery-store shelves. You can also purchase it online at smakattack.com. Keep track of where SMAK Attack will be next with its honey and other products by liking it on Facebook or following it on Twitter.
For orders or inquiries, contact [email protected]
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