“People with [outdoor] allergies should drink as much ReHive Ale as possible. It will make them feel better,” quipped Kimberly McCune Gibson. She was referring to the folklore remedy for allergies that involves consuming local honey. It’s an ingredient in her new brew, ReHive Ale, which will be released this spring in local grocery stores and retail outlets. She describes it as a “crisp, honey-forward wheat ale with hoppy aromas.” (See above for this reporter’s review.)
Gibson is the human dynamo who, with Ann Marie Larrance, co-owns Hungry Bee in Aurora, Ohio, which offers catering, personal chef services and cooking classes. Her father is the owner of McCune Family Apiary Honey, one of Ohio’s largest beekeeping operations, and she grew up in Geauga County visiting Amish farmers who leased beehives to pollinate their orchards. So she has a natural attraction to the sticky substance of life.
Filling roll baskets at a party center next door to her house gave Gibson an early start in the culinary world. Training at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and stints at Classics, Moxie, Red, One Walnut, and Loretta Paganini’s ICASI have helped shape her into an accomplished chef.
Known for her boundless energy, Gibson was the first female chef featured by Emerging Chefs, a firm specializing in “distinctive events around emerging chefs, culinary trends and destination dining experiences,” according to their website. For that event, Gibson created seven libations for seven courses and sourced everything from within 50 miles of Geauga County.
As if launching a new brew isn’t enough for this busy bee, this summer Gibson will open The 1815 House restaurant in Aurora. She describes it as “Panera meets Chagrin Falls Popcorn Shop – very casual, a family-friendly environment.”
Because wheat ales are a great summer refresher, Gibson suggests pairing ReHive Ale with anything from the grill or all by itself on really hot days – even if you don’t have any allergies.
See www.hungrybeecatering.com for more information.
