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Hive Alive shop in Marietta builds buzz with honey-related items

Photo by Janelle Patterson Hive Alive, in Marietta, offers a range of raw honey products from Circleville, Ohio, and has different honey available for tasting in the new store.

MARIETTA — A new shop on Front Street works similarly to its namesake, a honeybee’s hive.

“We’re not just honey, but those higher-end products and the experience and education too,” said Lisa Bammerlin, store manager of Hive Alive on Front Street in Marietta and one of the local artists whose work will be featured in the store.

Bammerlin formerly operated Brick Street Cottage across the street as her own store, but now focuses most of her artistic time on paintings, and has worked with Hive Alive owner Cynthia Davis to bring about the collaborative shop.

The shop sells raw honey, collected in the Circleville, Ohio, area and honey-related products like dog coat cleansers and balms.

On Tuesday, a couple from University Heights, Ohio, dropped into the store and was enthralled by the different colors of honey offered and what those colors and coinciding tastes came from.

Photo by Janelle Patterson Lisa Bammerlin, right, explains the differences in honey properties based on season of nectar and pollen collection to Vicki and Gregg Ritzinger, of University Heights, Ohio, in Hive Alive in Marietta.

“I liken it to your beers, lighter to darker flavors based on what those bees were feeding off of,” explained Bammerlin.

And like a beer flight, Gregg Ritzinger took a taster spoonful of three shades of honey.

“There’s a little more flowery taste with this one,” he said of the lightest shade.

“And this one is almost nutty,” he said of the darkest.

“But this one I liked the best,” he concluded of the medium colored flavor, which Bammerlin explained comes from mid-season flowers with pollen and nectar.

Photo by Janelle Patterson Hive Alive on Front Street in Marietta displays in the window art supplies and works available for sale at the new store.

But she also explained that the shop sells bee pollen as well, which can be added to tea, or just a spoonful of honey to provide health benefits to allergy-plagued individuals or those needing digestive relief.

“Eventually we’ll host educational tours for Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, elementary and middle school groups and we’ll have some bee equipment here too to explain a hive and headgear and smokers,” said Bammerlin. “It’s not just the sale of honey, but the honey bee and the art of nature it furthers.”

Speaking of said art, the shop also plays host to not only a framing service, but also the display and sale of artwork by Davis and Bammerlin and Plein Air artist Joe Lombardo, who will be hosting a Plein Air painting workshop in Marietta Aug. 5.

For more information or to buy tickets for the workshop visit Hive Alive at 165 Front St., Marietta, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“We’re looking at a grand opening that weekend as well with a ribbon cutting,” said Bammerlin.

***

Hive Alive

* Opened at the beginning of July as a collective business which sells artisan honey products, high-end art and art supplies and offers framing services

* Located at 165 Front St. in Marietta between Marietta Brewing Company and Mahone Tire Service

* Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

* Social Media: http://bit.ly/HiveAliveMarietta

Source: Hive Alive

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