Photos by Kip Sikora

The Apiary is the soul of Apis. With hives on and off site, the apiary actively completes the cycle of sustainability at Apis and symbolizes our mission to provide and promote that which is pure, clean, and local. Our bees will pollinate the future gardens on the restaurant’s campus, and we plan for those gardens to, in turn, provide some fresh produce for the restaurant. We use the honey we harvest from our hives onsite in Apis’ craft cocktails and culinary creations. 

Chef Taylor and his wife, Casie, have had a hive at their Spicewood home since 2010. Taylor was first inspired to become a beekeeper when he learned of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). The fascination with the incredible and ecologically-critical honeybee inspired Taylor and Casie’s vision for Apis. Along with backyard beekeepers everywhere, we hope to do our part to combat CCD and promote the health of honeybees in our area.

The hives are situated at the back of the six-acre property, on the cliffs overlooking the Pedernales River, as well as other Spicewood properties close by. At a healthy distance from the restaurant, and with a feeding barrier, the bees do not disturb guests who might be concerned about being harassed or stung. Additionally, the breeds of honeybee at Apis which are Allstar and Buckfast are known for being docile.

Our vision is to provide tours of the hives for guests interested in learning more about beekeeping.

We would like to thank our beekeepers at TerraPurezza, handled by Karina Mackow, for their support in installation and maintenance of the Apiary at Apis.