Nature's Sweetest Ritual

At 1 Hotel Austin, honey is more than an ingredient. It is a reflection of the surrounding landscape and the delicate balance that sustains it. Long treasured for its nourishing qualities and role in wellness rituals, honey has been celebrated for centuries as one of nature's most remarkable gifts. Carefully harvested from rooftop hives, it finds its way into seasonal dishes at Neighbors Café & Wine Bar and restorative treatments at Bamford Wellness Spa, offering guests a taste of Austin's landscape in every spoonful. We spoke with local beekeeper Dylan Castro, co-founder of Keepers Harvest, about tending the hives, the changing character of each harvest, and the quiet wisdom bees bring to everyday life.

Inside the Hives with Dylan Castro, Co-Founder of Keepers Harvest

What first drew you to beekeeping, and what goes into caring for the hives at 1 Hotel Austin?

I really just loved the lifestyle beekeeping provided and being able to work with nature; the opportunity to experience different places and geographies around the U.S. from an agricultural standpoint was incredible. Seeing thousands of acres of crops reliant on honey bee pollination opened my eyes to the level of importance bees have in our food system. We are so extremely dependent on bees it’s truly hard to grasp. So caring for them is of the utmost priority and a typical hive inspection includes many things depending on the season. Typically, we’re checking Queen vitality; making sure she's laying an adequate amount of eggs, nutrition; checking for resources or lack thereof to determine if we need to supplement, and manage any pests that may be present in the hive. Varroa mites continue to destroy colonies so combating them with sustainable treatments is essential to the hive's well being.  

Like wine, honey can reflect the landscape where it is produced. How do Austin’s native plants and changing seasons shape the color, flavor, and character of each harvest?

This is really the most fascinating and probably my favorite aspect of beekeeping/honey bees. I’ve come to learn that Austin and the Hill Country almost have little micro climates. We’ve made Oak Honeydew Honey in Driftwood, Mesquite and Horsemint honey in Buda and Austin, and even Tallow Tree honey in the East Austin areas close to the Lower Colorado River area. All of which have different flavor profiles, texture and color. It’s pretty amazing the difference in honeys we have within a 75 mile radius of Downtown Austin. It’s not always like that though. Honey flows are extremely dependent upon the weather cooperating and well…this is Texas, folks. 

Honey has long been part of both culinary traditions and wellness rituals. What makes raw honey so remarkable, and why has it stood the test of time?

Raw honey is such a divine, God given gift. The more and more I research honey, the more and more I learn about how medicinal it is for us and how these tiny, little honey bees do that by collecting nectar from blossoms. True, genuine raw honey has over 150 compounds that allow our body to digest it in an entirely different way than say processed sugars or other carbohydrates. It’s extremely anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and also has countless live enzymes. One of which is Glucose Oxidase which can create natural hydrogen peroxide if applied to wounds on the skin. Truly amazing. 

Guests can enjoy your honey in everything from breakfast to a Bamford Spa treatment. What do you hope they take away from seeing the same ingredient come to life in so many different ways?

Since I started Keepers Harvest, I’ve told everyone this: the honey, incredibly unique and delicious as it is, wouldn’t be possible without the hardworking beekeepers who fight tooth and nail to keep their hives healthy enough to bring a jar of honey to the table. If you love the honey after you try it (and you will, I promise you will), fantastic. But if you can walk away with a slightly deeper appreciation for the beekeeper, mission accomplished. 

A healthy hive depends on balance, community, and care. What has working with bees taught you about wellbeing and living more closely with nature?

This is such a good question. As a business owner, the company demands so much of you every..single..day. Whether it be tending to the bees or admin work, it can be really hard to hit the off switch sometimes and the bees are such a good reminder of balance and unison. When Spring hits, everything's alive; moving, growing, working. As Winter rolls around, not a bee in sight or a leaf on a tree. It's time to rest and reset. There’s a time to build and a time to pause, and that lesson alone has really shaped who I am today.