When Ames Russell crafted his first batch of hot honey, he drew on the traditions of generations of Appalachian Russells who came before him. His grandfather (also named Ames) always placed a dish of honeycomb on his farm table for guests, imparting warmth and sweetness with his simple gesture. Ames distributed his first batch of hot honey to friends and family as Christmas gifts in 2015. His mixture of sweet clover and floral wildflower honeys with de árbol red chili peppers was such a hit that Ames eventually quit his day job to devote his life to honey. The results have been, well, sweet—and hot.

After over five years in business, AR’s Hot Southern Honey—sourced from Appalachian hives and produced in Richmond, Virginia—is flying off the shelves in over twenty-five states. Chefs love Ames’ hot honey so much that they buy it by the gallon, and food critics from Richmond Times-Dispatch, Food Channel, Virginia Living, and more sing AR’s praises. Currently, AR’s offers hot honeys, plain honeys, and even honey hot sauce and spicy honey peanut butter.

Sara Quessenberry is a cook, food stylist, recipe developer, and author. Sara co-wrote The Good Neighbor Cookbook, which was voted Best Books 2011: Cooking by Library Journal. She also collaborated on the New York Times best-seller The Can't Cook Book. She is currently the food/web director of JessicaSeinfeld.com, a website for beginner cooks. Her next collaboration with Seinfeld is Food Swings: 125+ Recipes to Enjoy Your Life of Virtue & Vice.