Award-winning Florida honeys since 1936, including rare Gulf Coast tupelo.

The Beekeeper's Story

Tropical Blossom Honey Co. began in 1937 when David and Helen McGinnis relocated from the mountains of West Virginia to the coast of Central Florida. Living with David's uncle in a backwoods cabin, David learned beekeeping to increase pollination in the family's citrus groves. The beehives thrived in Florida's subtropical climate, and soon Helen began bottling the surplus honey to sell at tourist outlets near Daytona Beach. The company was formally established in 1940 and has remained at the same Edgewater location ever since. Son Douglas McGinnis later rejoined the family business in 1976 and expanded its reach nationally and globally. A signature innovation — an orange-size globe jar filled with orange blossom honey — helped launch them into the international market, and since 1959 they have showcased Florida honeys at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City. Today, the factory store curates varietals sourced from approximately 36 beekeepers across Florida, bottling 3 to 4 million pounds of honey per year and shipping to customers in Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. The company holds OU Kosher certification and sells under both the Tropical Blossom and Tropic Bee labels.